• I’m officially ‘over’ Winter and it’s only January 4th. These sub-zero temperatures and, now, more snow, with freezing rain and ice in the forecast for the beginning of the week are too much. I’m over it. Don: “Look at the snow falling, it’s really pretty.” Me: “Don’t like it. Don’t want it.”
And we’re not even getting the brunt of this storm, which will hammer those who live nearer to or on the coast. We’re far enough inland that we’ll just get 3 to 5 inches of the white stuff.
The house is so dry that Don and I are constantly complaining about it. And before you ask, yes, we do have a humidifier and we use it every day. It isn’t making much of a difference. Rick and Doug have two of them, and they say the same thing: Nada. It’s been a tough winter so far.
Okay, enough kvetching.
• I entertained myself yesterday afternoon by taking photos with my big girl camera.
Paperwhites.
New growth.
Baby pileas. Or is it pileae?
More new growth. This schefflera has finally calmed down. For the longest time after I bought it, it kept shedding leaves, and since the previous schefflera that I had bit the dust, I was beginning to think scheffleras and I were on a collision course. I cut back on frequency of watering and it seems to have acclimated itself to the conditions in the cottage. I’m very happy about that!
• I managed to snag a copy of The Hidden Staircase, number two in the Nancy Drew series. This one is pretty hard to find, especially in fairly good condition. Once again, it was all in the timing. I happened to do a search right after someone had listed this as a Buy Now. It was a really good price, so I jumped on it.
Isn’t that a fabulous illustration? I love the clothes and the cloche hat.
Two more to go. They are from the last of the series that Tandy illustrated, with darker covers, and they’re fairly easy to find, so I should complete this collection soon.
• And finally, last night’s sunset:
Happy Thursday.
I miss having a chance to get sick of winter. It’s my favorite time of the year, but where I live we get maybe a month’s worth of truly cold temps and, if we’re lucky, an inch of snow once or twice. Boo. As if living in a red state wasn’t already frustrating enough.
Your photos are lovely!!!
At this point, I’d be happy to have less snow! We’re only into early January and it’s been pretty brutal.
We are not part of the bomb thing thank goodness! It is -12 right now and I too have had enough of winter. Unfortunately, in Minnesota winter lasts until the end of March (sometimes later). Your plants are lovely. I am awaiting the bloom of amaryllis in the sunroom.
8+ inches of snow today. We shoveled our butts off!
I’ve only had a couple of days of overcast and I’m sick of winter! I love the sun so overcast days definitely bring me down. In the midst of a cold too so I’m even more grumpy. My daughter leaves for Hawaii for two plus weeks soon. It’s part of a class she’s taking. Can we say jealous?
I will say jealous for sure!
It’s been cold here but nothing like where you are. My plants need some TLC but I haven’t even had the energy to put away Christmas yet. My pain is back and it’s getting me down a bit. Hopefully by the weekend I’ll get some things done and feel more like myself. Hugs!
I’m sorry you’re in pain again, Linda. Feel better soon!
Your plants give me spring-time hope…it is much needed. So keep those beautiful pics coming, please. Bomb cyclone? Really? Looks like a nor’easter to me. The names I think, are a bit ridiculous. Even though it’s still quite frigid here, at least the sun is shining. So, there is the perception that there is warmth…even if it’s only in my mind. My mom’s Christmas cactus is about ready to bloom…I think it’s more of a New Years cactus! Stay warm! ;)
It had to do with something about a fall in isobars, or something like that? Whatever it was, it was extreme. And let me tell you, we got a lot of snow! And it’s freezing out there.
Your plants are lucky to live at your house. The pictures are beautiful. And congratulations on finding another Nancy Drew! Those covers are wonderful. Stay warm, well fed, and stay home.
Stayed home, but we still had to shovel!
my mother was from upstate NY and my father was a Texan.
they met just before he was shipped overseas when he was stationed at Pine Camp NY.
my grandparents (her side) were from Boston. after the war I came along!
I have loved ‘wicked stawms’ all my life.
but I realize now it’s because I don’t have to get out in them. how I love retirement just for that reason alone!
once in Northern MN we had 40 below zero for days on end. the ice was 1/4 thick …
on the INSIDE of my bedroom window!!! I felt like you feel now. “Enough Already.”
we had to wrap scarves around our faces waiting for the school bus… so the moisture in our lungs wouldn’t freeze. ridiculous really. now that I look back on it. so kvetch all you want! lol.
if it sleets a little here they close the schools. it’s all relative I suppose!
when the shy wolves came down from the forests that one year because they were so cold and hungry … it was just sad. I kept a journal from our two years there so I couldn’t forget it.
and WOW. such beautiful pictures of your plants! spring personified!
It’s really cold and windy and we were dumped on snow-wise. I am definitely not a fan of this particular winter!
Just returned from a cruise to Canary Islands and Spain ( Oh the sunshine,while they had snow back home in Wales!!) with my husband to celebrate my 70th birthday, and am enjoying catching up on your lovely life BUT oh dear,Sue Grafton has died? That is so so sad. I took her Y book to read on the cruise and just this morning was checking the shelf where I keep all her books to make sure there was room for one more. Very sorrowful start to the New Year.
As I am writing this the radio in the background is talking about Trump — again! and I so feel your anger but it’s not only love that changes everything,so does time so hang on in there. Happy Hogmanay as we Scots say.
We’re trying to hang in there, but it’s very, very difficult! Thank you, Megan!
Wow, just got thru reading an online article from yesterday (The Atlantic), captioned “Is There Something Neurologically Wrong With Donald Trump? ” In-depth & VERY thought-provoking piece (the brain; his brain). To just any ‘normal’ person, by now (any joking aside; this is no joke), it’s so clear (should be to everyone) that something is very wrong (ongoing; escalating) with this man (i.e., the ‘my nuclear button is bigger than your nuclear button’ kindergarten talk, not much diff than a 5-yr-old saying ‘my belly button is bigger than your belly button’). It was again a major topic of discussion last night at home, with me saying to my husband for the umpteenth time, “He’s gonna get us all killed.” The smart people in government simply have to step up and figure out how to get Trump out of the White House. There has to be intelligent, mature, sane, level-headed, serious LEADERSHIP of the free world and this is NOT it.
Have to take a breath; I get too upset. I can’t believe this is actually happening in my lifetime. I feared it with him from the get-go. But things have gotten worse than the sum of fears. God help us.
Try to change the subject.
What a ‘first’ winter for Rick & Doug. Do you also have the wind that I keep reading about, with this bone-chiller snow? (I know how much you love wind, Claudia {ha [rueful ‘ha’]}.)
The wind started about 5 pm and it will continue through tomorrow.
I am always sick of winter as soon as Christmas is over. We have really frigid temps this week, but no snow. I am at least grateful for that. xo Laura
Lots of snow here!
I was over winter in late October….. because just thinking about it makes my stomach turn. I don’t like the cold, but it is the snow which I do hate. It is a 4-letter word. One can drive and walk in the cold, but driving and walking in the snow is quite another thing.
Staying inside. Not watching any news. Cleaning and purging and reading fill the days. Still nibbling on and enjoying a few remaining goodies in the house. Even the dogs are content to be inside. That is when we KNOW it is too cold outside. Oh, Spring ~~ please do hurry!!
I can’t seem to concentrate on any novels right now! Frustrating!
I wonder if it’s like when we had the Calif wildfires; I couldn’t concentrate on anything.
More likely just a phase I’m going through – although the political climate isn’t helping!
Agree completely with Chris K. I don’t really mind the cold – after all, we wouldn’t appreciate Summer’s warmth if we never experienced the cold of Winter – but snow is another matter entirely. One has to muck around & through with the snow. Bundling up so you don’t freeze to pieces while cleaning off your car. Being TOO warm in the car because of all the bundling. Cleaning off a car to go to the store, then cleaning off the car AGAIN to go home from the store an hour later etc etc. Yuck. It is INDEED one of the greatest things about being retired – the option of NOT having to cope with snow all the time. OK, end of rant. Your paperwhites are just gorgeous – I had to save them to my “Claudia” folder – just to look at later. The other plants as well. Really, just beautiful. You are such a good Plant Mommy. Well, stay as warm as possible, you two. I was going to make more coffee but I think I’ll nuke some apple cider & look for my cinnamon sticks instead. Steaming hot cider – yum. A true seasonal treat. Peace.
#Resist
#ProtectMueller
That sounds good. We could have used that after shoveling snow today! We’ll have to get some.
We are getting a major amount of snow. We are going to get 6-8 inches of snow.
Marilyn
We are too. There’s a least 8 inches that fell today. Yuck!
We’re getting slammed here in CT. but it looks like things are winding down now. What a great day to share some pics of growing plants. Thank you. It made my day. The first couple of photos remind me of a wedding bouquet. 🙂
So glad you enjoyed them, Deb!
Really cold here in MN! I use a gallon-size enamelware coffee pot and keep it at a little simmer on the stove all day. I like it better than a humidifier. And it looks cuter, too! Barbara
We used to do that, but we have hard water and it leaves mineral deposits if we boil water all day!
-6 here this evening…calling for minus temps Friday and Saturday too…We did not get any snow today thank goodness just high winds and low temperatures…sometimes it looks like it’s snowing because of the winds blowing the old snow around!…So sorry to hear that you had all of that snow shoveling to do Claudia and Don…Stay warm and safe and be thankful for Mockingbird Hill Cottage to hunker down in!
I almost forgot..Congrats on finding another Nancy Drew…love her hat!
Thank you!
We’re sore this morning, Nancy!
I told my husband yesterday, that although I don’t mind winter….. I am SO OVER IT already this year with all of these zero type temperatures we are living in. I feel your feels! LOL
I know! Enough already!
I’m feeling the same way–dry skin and all, but what lovely plants you have to look at. Mine are all artificial. We too are looking for 32 possibly Sunday.
It will feel so balmy, I’ll be tempted to wear a bathing suit!