Wolf Moon

 The first full moon of 2022 — the "Wolf Moon" — shines bright in the sky tonight.

 

 

Brightly the moon like a jewel is beaming,

White in the east, o'er a lone landscape gleaming,

Over the meadows and over the snow,

Glimmering, shimmering, silvery glow.

Low in the east, when the gloaming is ending,

Slowly this white winter moon is ascending,

Looming so large and appearing so nigh,

Satellite framed by a star-spangled sky.

High in the sky, with soft radiance teeming,

Nigh to the time when men, women, are dreaming,

Weird is her splendor on valley and hill,

Cold is her gleam upon river and rill.

Brightly the moon like a jewel is shining,

White in the west she is slowly declining,

Beautiful Moon ! Which beams gorgeous and grand

Over the homes of our own Native Land.
 

~Charles Nevers Holmes. 1926

Nesting

"Surely everyone is aware of the divine pleasures which attend a wintry fireside; candles at four o’clock, warm hearthrugs, tea, a fair tea-maker, shutters closed, curtains flowing in ample draperies to the floor, whilst the wind and rain are raging audibly without."
 ~ Thomas De Quincey 1796 

 

 

Brambly Hedge : Illustrated by Jill Barklem

Silent And Soft

We awoke to another snowfall this morning.

Beautiful to look at, but I have the suspicion folks are really looking for a few constant days of sunshine right about now. 

 

Announced by all the trumpets of the sky,

Arrives the snow, and, driving o'er the fields,

Seems nowhere to alight: the whited air

Hides hills and woods, the river, and the heaven,

And veils the farmhouse at the garden's end.

The sled and traveller stopped, the courier's feet

Delayed, all friends shut out, the housemates sit

Around the radiant fireplace, enclosed

In a tumultuous privacy of storm.

The Snow Storm ~ Ralph Waldo Eme

 

                                                       

                                                   ⛄⛄

Hobbit Days

As with much of the nation we are experiencing a blast of cold winter weather.
It's predicted for much of the coming week, so hearty soups are the go-to meal of the day.

 

 

I've made a fifteen bean soup today, chocked full of country ham, celery, onions, tomatoes, carrots, garlic, and chili spice.

Served with a slice of buttermilk cornbread, it's the ideal comfort food, on a blustery cold day.
Come join us for a bowl.

 

 

 

 

We'll leave the light on for you ! 

 

 

 

 

If you feel like making your own pot, here's the original recipe.

• 1 lb. smoked sausage, ground sausage (browned in pan), ham hocks or diced ham. Our favorite is to use a leftover hambone with some meat on it.

• 1 pkg of Hurst 15 Beans
  1 lg. onion, diced
  1 clove garlic, minced
  1 tsp chili powder (optional)
  1 can diced tomatoes (15 oz.)
  Juice from 1 lemon
  Bay Leaf

• 
  

• I also add:  

  Two stalks of celery
  Three cubed potatoes 
  Two sliced carrots

• Optional: Hot sauce or crushed red pepper to taste

 Original 15 Bean Soup® recipe Hurst Beans

Silenced

Mother Nature threw down her blanket shortly after midnight, just in time for an artic blast moving through the area.

Our first snowfall of the year, magically transforming the landscape.
Soft, wet snowflakes shutting us off from our little world as we know it, cocooned in a blanket of white.
Silenced.

 

 

 

 

Out of the cloud-folds of her garment shaken,

Over the woodlands, brown and bare

Over the harvest-fields forsaken,

Silent, and soft, and slow

Descends the snow.

~~By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.~~


 

Nesting

We have had the strangest warm weather these past few days.
Here it is, the middle of winter, and the temperatures have reached a balmy 73 degrees yesterday, folks were running around town, in shorts and flip-flops !
The Iris shoots are popping up out of the ground, twelve inches tall already.

Today....all change.
We are in for a true taste of winter, temperatures down in the thirties and whispers of the "s" word are in the forecast.

A good excuse to stay home,  indulge in a nice pot of tea and left-over Christmas cake, and some rather lovely reading material.

  

 

 

                                                                                 🏡            

 

Ring Out The Old, Ring In The New

And so another year is coming to an end.

A year that will certainly go down in the history books, as we all continue to struggle with "the virus"  and forge ahead...
As the New Year makes it's presence, I am grateful for all the good things in life,  mindful to leave less of a footprint on this magnificent planet we all call home, and remember to offer a kinder word or action towards my fellow man.

 

I truly wish each and every one of you, a New Year filled with much love, peace, good health and happiness.

Your friendships have encouraged, enlightened, and have brightened my days throughout this past year.

Here's to a 2022 filled with the same !

Many Blessings, and A Happy New Year.

x

                                                        
A Happy New Year! Grant that I

May bring no tear to any eye

When this New Year in time shall end

Let it be said I've played the friend,

Have lived and loved and labored here,

And made of it a happy year.

~Edgar Guest
 

❤

Boxing Day Silence

We've ate, drank and made merry.
Over-indulged in all the traditions of the season that makes this magical celebration.......magical.
Laughter was in abundance.

  

Peace On Earth Goodwill Toward Men

I've so enjoyed our visits back and forth throughout the year, all the sweet comments wriitten  and well-wishes when a word of encouragement was needed.

We truly wish each and every one of you, friends and family, near and far, all the blessings of a Joyous and Merry Christmas.

 

May you have the gladness of Christmas which is hope;

The spirit of Christmas which is peace;

The heart of Christmas which is love."

 

~Ada V. Hendicks

 

 

When Christmas bells are swinging above the fields of snow,

We hear sweet voices ringing from lands of long ago,

And etched on vacant places

Are half-forgotten faces

Of friends we used to cherish,

And loves we used to know.

 

~ Ella Wheeler Wilcox

The Longest Night

    The longest night of the year, with the Cold Moon as it's companion.

Winter arrives.

 

" Lighting one candle

from another -

Winter night "

 

~ Buson

Plodding Along Nicely

We've been spoiled up until this point, with warmer than usual days, many not requiring the wearing of a jacket.
This past week in particular, our daytime temperatures  have felt more like  Summer Days.

I'm busy gathering Christmas gifts and checking my list twice.
Only ten more days to go, time to get a move-on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“The leaves fall, the wind blows, and the farm country slowly changes from the summer cottons into its winter wools.”

~ Henry Beston : Northern Farm

'Til They're Clean And Sparkly

When Christmas holidays roll around, the copper pots get an extra cleaning.

I was raised in a generation, when kitchens proudly displayed their gleaming wares. 

My grandma had lots of copper, silver and brass, it was my job to keep them shiny and bright.

The unmistakable smell of Brasso lingered in the air on Friday evenings, after my weekly chore was done.

The manufacturers changed the formula of Brasso cleaning solution several years ago, the new and improved version is not so much. Thankfully I've found another product that works incredibly well, wipe on, rinse off with water, and voila !

I'm pretty sure the younger generation has no desire to polish these timeless treasures, myself, I'm happy to hold on to the memories. 

 

 

 

 

I've used the silver cleaner for years, with excellent results, but didn't know they made copper cleaner until I ran across this on Amazon.

Wipe it on with the little sponge included, and rinse off.
Magical.

 

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

A cold and wet start to our day, the perfect opportunity to finish up the last of the decorating, and spend the day list-ticking.

The hearth is lit, the tree is twinkling, hot chocolate is simmering.

We are under the dreaded tornado watch once again
Stay warm and safe dear friends....

 

 

 

Christmas is coming, the geese are getting fat

Please put a penny in the old man's hat

If you haven't got a penny, a ha'penny will do

If you haven't got a ha'penny, then God bless you!

~ Tradition English nursery rhyme

 

 

 

 

Making A Start

The Christmas decorating has begun.  

A little here, a little there, and before you know it, the house is transformed with the magic of Christmas.
I think we could all use a little magic right about now....