It wasn’t 3:00 when I took this photo. It was just a few moments ago. We temporarily stopped the clock because the bonging on the hour was waking us up.
As you can see, there’s a bit of snow outside, but much less than predicted. You’re thinking: oh great, no problem for Don and Claudia. Not so fast! It’s been sleeting for hours and will continue to do so, even though predictions said we’d have very little. So it’s quite dangerous out there. And miserable.
Since neither of us feel well, and there’s nothing we can do about it while it’s still happening, we’ll stay right we are, thank you very much!
I planned to do some more deep cleaning in the newest dollhouse yesterday, but frankly, I felt so crappy that I didn’t. Instead, I sat around, listened to Christmas music, read, and chatted with my husband. I think it’s sinus stuff. We’ve been up and down and all over the map in terms of weather this month. Warm, cold, rain, snow, sleet – everything. So I suspect my sinuses are complaining.
Thank goodness for the cheery lights on the Christmas tree! They really make a difference. Too bad we can’t have Christmas trees and twinkly lights all year round.
By the way, if you’re a fan of Vintage by Crystal (two of the figures in the photo are her designs) she’s having her Christmas blog sale today at 11:00. You have to visit the blog, then email her and let her know what you’d like. But you have to move quickly! Her blog address is vintagebycrystal (dot) blogspot (dot) com.
Happy Tuesday.
Sorry you’re under the weather, Claudia. And it’s such bad timing for you.
When my partner, Gary, has his sinuses act up, he finds steaming over boiling water with a drop or two of tea-tree oil added helps clear and heal them, so I wanted to pass that on.
Get well!
I don’t like tea tree oil or the smell of it, so I’d probably put mint of some kind in the water. Thanks, Cara!
Lavender is also anti-bacterial, if you prefer it. Tea-tree is one of the strongest anti-bacterial (and anti-viral, I think) oils, and smalls like it, so I get it.
I like lavender! Thanks, Cara.
Claudia, you and Don feel better soon! I draped twinkly lights on my pot rack and clipped Them on my kitchen valance. I’m loving it so may keep them up all year.
So cheery! Thanks, Wendy.
I used to love a show on TV back in the day, hosted by the Brit chef Nigella Lawson; this went back to a long time ago when she was younger, like maybe this was late 1990s or early 2000s. Anyway, her kitchen set, which I think at one point was her actual home in London, was draped with miniature lights; so pretty; red lights twinkling in the kitchen; I think white ones blending over into her living room; all especially mood-invoking in the late evening in the darkened rooms when she’d make herself a bedtime snack, like the most delish hot cocoa. If I ever get my kitchen ‘done’ (an end to endless remodeling of an old house), I have tiny red lights shaped like chili peppers that I intend to hang over my kitchen sink year’round. Indeed cheery!
What fun!
hope you and don feel better quickly, are stocked up on supplies and that the sleet and snow go away soon.
thanks for the tip about “vintage by crystal”. her work is darling.
kathy in iowa
ps: for what it’s worth, i say keep a Christmas tree and/or twinkly lights up as long as you want!
The Christmas tree is real, so it will only be up for another 9 days or so (we’ve had it up since Dec. 1st.)
Thanks, Kathy.
We have a wind up chiming clock too, but ours has a lever in the back to stop the chiming. I see you have two wind up places; you can try just winding the clock part. Then you’d have the correct time. Hope you’re in the mend soon.
Yes, we’ve done that before. But since we have three clocks in the kitchen and living room besides that one, we just tend to leave it and let it be beautiful. Thanks, Linda.
Claudia, if you remember, we have the same clock (and it sits on the same buffet as you have). So fun!! We had to turn ours off, too, but because our Greyhound is so afraid of it each time it chimes. We call her our “delicate flower”……
ugh to sleet!! As much as I dislike snow, I would take it 100x’s over any sleet and ice. Great plan to stay inside today. We are to have very cold temps today, and much colder overnight and tomorrow. Then 40’s for the weekend. It has been really crazy weather.
Hope you both stay warm and cozy today and feel better as the day goes on!
Your sweet Greyhound! Scout had her delicate issues, as well. Yes, I’d much rather be shoveling the snow rather than worrying about sleet and ice. Thank you, Chris!
Sorry to hear you are both down…you’ll have to take turns taking care of each other. I have a friend who has lights on a floor plant all year…it always looks festive.
We did a little shopping this morning….and it was quite cold. The dampness just cuts right through you.
My parents had a clock just like yours. It now happily resides in #3 son’s home. We also used to have a cuckoo clock….that thing used to drive me nuts. Sometimes you just need quiet…especially when you want to nap.
Hope the sleet let’s up soon. Stay warm! ;)
It’s really dangerous out there. We tried to clear the driveway but it’s all heavy sleet and ice. Thanks, Donnamae.
I’ve tried to write this comment three times so I may as well give up. Just very punchy from lack of sleep due to VIOLENT Santa Ana winds all day yesterday, all last night; right now. The house rattles and shakes; the wind whooshes down the chimney, roaring like a train at 3am. And it’s a cold wind; dry and cold. Cold for us anyway, although sunny; low-60s, the wind making it feel much colder (and when the wind stops, we’re in freeze advisories; this doesn’t happen much in my neck ‘o the woods). When it’s not whooshing down the chimney, the wind is howling and wailing between the houses like a banshee in a canyon. I HATE WIND. Wind like this, anyway.
We woke up (well, not really, already awake, because who can sleep thru this!) to our big City trash cans on their sides, garbage and recycling all over the place. Nobody’s cans in the neighborhood were upright; not the best morning for trash collection, and the trucks are late because they have to stop at each house and pick up the cans manually, poor guys, so that the can be hoisted with the mechanical arm into the truck. I struggled with those cans this morning; struggled to remain upright as a human, struggled to even get the lid shut on the can.
My husband spent a lot of time and money for rain prep a few weeks ago, new tarps on outside sheds and numerous outdoor cat shelters; they’re ripped to shreds now; early this morn, he went out and cut off a new pop-up canopy tarp (another rain shelter for the cat feeding area) before we lost it, too. I don’t know how trees are staying rooted in the ground; how plants aren’t ripped from the dirt and blowing out to sea. Fierce, fierce ANGRY wind. Wild weather.
And speaking of the sea, wow, the beach this weekend, BIG waves, huge sets of them; the ocean boiling, churning. Palm trees leaning so far over you’d think the trunks would break. That was wind off the ocean west to east. today, it’s off the desert, east to west. We’re getting blown to bits! People’s exterior holiday decorations may never be the same the rest of the season. But a good thing is that the fire-blackened hills from Halloween night are already greening up (the ash actually is potassium for green-growing things) and it’s not the December of two years ago when everything in the hills and mountains was dry and tinder-crisp, prone to wind-driven wildfire. We’ve still got wet ground in places from recent rains.
Okay, so much for the weather report.
To make matters worse, my dog has been in surgery all morning and my husband and I can’t fasten our attention on to anything; her absence in the house is palpable. The vet just called and said she’s in recovery, coming out of anesthesia, wherein I burst into tears of relief; it wasn’t invasive surgery, but anytime you put an elderly pet under anesthesia, there’s risk. Anyway, between wind and the dog and having no sleep, I’m a basket case. I can’t HAVE four cups of coffee in the morning but I NEEDED four cups of coffee this morning, only getting one; NOT ENOUGH! WANT MORE!
I’m so sorry you’re both sick, Claudia. Stay warm; heal yourselves. I was watching a little bit of the Ellen daytime show last night (I sometimes record it to watch in the eve) and somebody came on with a cold. I never watch daytime TV in daytime, but this morning was diff as I tried to get warm with a blanket on the sofa, so watched The View for the first time in years and the actress Charlize Theron came on set with a cold, not hugging any of the hosts. A LOT of people are sick; but, ya know, ’tis winter I guess.
Thank you for displaying your Crystal treasures; was hoping to see them. Like all your collections, I love these of yours, too. Such talent in these tiny creations!
Feel better! I’ll try, too. I just need some sleep; go away WIND.
Well, we’re iced in, so there’s that. It’s very dangerous out there. We tried clearing it but it’s impossible. And we’re sick.
Glad your dog did well in surgery. What a relief!
She’s home and resting; whined the whole way home in the car which isn’t like her but of course it’s the drugs. I’m so glad she’s okay and back in her own little bed. My child.
Despite the wind, BRILLIANT yellow-to-orange-to-pink sunset; got to see it on the way back after we picked her up.
I don’t really know ice, Claudia, but it sounds very treacherous. I was on the phone with a customer service rep in Vermont and she spoke of how there’s a lot of farm country there with dirt roads and how you simply can’t traverse a dirt road that’s iced over, so others of their reps recently just couldn’t GET home although one walked for two miles at night and I said, “How on earth can that be safe?” In which case the rep said, “I said to her the same thing!” I guess she was undeterred; didn’t want to spend the night in a motel or in the office. Good thing she didn’t freeze to death out there; hope she had a flashlight!
Glad she’s better, Vicki. I know how worrisome that can be!
to vicki …
oh, so much to deal with all at once!
hope your pup is well on the way to a fast and complete recovery, the wind slows way down and you get some good sleep!
offering prayers … and a (virtual) hug, if you like.
kathy in iowa
…thank you, kathy; I’m sure I’ve sounded melodramatic but the wind IS dramatic and makes me kinda nuts…puppy is sacked out, sound asleep, back home; she came thru her surgery well (whew, always a worry for me)…wind is supposed to die down at 2am Weds…appreciate the hug and back atcha…on a positive note, I did manage to send out seven late Christmas cards (people who live a distance away; takes at least four days to get anywhere from here, and that’s when it’s not a holiday rush; so, fingers crossed they make it in time by next week) which we dropped just in time at the post office (before they closed) on the way to the veterinarian; I’m feeling so behind on EVERYthing this Christmas and I’ve let it get to me this year, but I’m gonna try to calm down now!
glad your girl is home and on the mend.
and that the winds have hopefully slowed down by now for you. the only time i like wind is when i’m on a sailboat (and that is, unfortunately, not too often); otherwise it stresses me out a bit, too.
am sure the recipients of your cards will be pleased you thought of them!
merry Christmas and here’s to a brighter, happier, healthier new year for all!
kathy in iowa
…thank you, kathy in iowa…and merry christmas and a pleasurable & prosperous 2020 to you, too…always enjoy your reader comments here on Claudia’s wonderful blog!
There is much to be said for reading and listening to Christmas music. Works for me. I’m still baking down at Rick’s and hoping to finish that off tomorrow so I can delivery cookie plates. Then wrapping and we’ll be good to go.
I was so pleased Crystal had some of her Christmas at the Thanksgiving sale and I was able to score a cute little girl (showing up on my blog in about two hours!). I love her things. I was at the dentist during today’s sale and probably all are gone or close to it but I think I’ll have to take a quick look. Or maybe wait till Valentine’s day!
Happy evening and please, take it easy, as you are. Snow/ice will wait for a bit. Be cozy.
I missed the Thanksgiving Sale but managed to get a piece today. I almost didn’t even read the post, but I couldn’t help myself. I love her stuff so much! Thanks, Jeanie.
Sorry to hear you guys are sick again – oy! I love little white lights in the house all winter long. You can drape them anywhere. Looks so pretty draped over curtain rods/curtains and hanging down the sides. Problem is, I’m having a hard time finding ones that aren’t LED. I tried both the warm and cool LED lights and woah! Way too harsh.
Our weather is all over the place lately, too. Cold, warm, sun, persistent dreariness, rain, snow, wind. We have just a dusting of snow right now and tomorrow’s high is only going to be 16 degrees, but then it warms up again into the 40’s.
Definitely diffuse some essential oils or simmer them in a pot like someone suggested. It does help, especially with sinus stuff.
Don’s the one who is sick again. I haven’t been sick for a quite a while and I’m not even sure I’m sick now. I just have sinus issues. Yes, I don’t like LED lights either!
Thanks, Melanie.
My husband is a big fan of LEDs and I can’t stand them. I’ve read some things about energy efficiency and there IS controversy on LEDS (a lot of hype about energy efficiency) but he’s just sold on them, saying they’re even more energy conserving than a compact florescent (another ‘innovation’ I could do without). You can’t beat the warm glow of an incandescent and you need that golden, welcoming, soothing warmth for an old house with old woods. He put LEDs on our Christmas tree and I felt I needed sunglasses in my own living room although I’m somewhat more used to them all these days later, but I miss my little mini lights which are more glowy and less intense. (I just didn’t want to hurt his feelings.) LED light is cold, cold, cold; makes me feel like I’m in the operating room at a hospital. Sterile.
I hate them. They are much too cold. Incandescent always!
Sorry that you are not feeling better. Glad the snow was not too bad.
Marilyn
Thank you, Marilyn!
Claudia – thought you might be interested in this link. The Queen collects miniatures.
https://www.messynessychic.com/2016/11/02/the-queen-has-an-eye-watering-collection-of-miniature-things/
Thank you, Kathy! Just what I needed to see this morning as I battle a cold.