Floating Along

Another day of rain.
Six inches of the stuff, the ground is soaked.

It seems as though an entire Spring's rainfall has fell in one week.
Even Freddie the frog has taken to higher ground.

Cold, wet leaves
Floating on moss-colored water
And the croaking of frogs -
Cracked bell-notes in the twilight.
 

~ The Pond, Amy Lowell

 

Spring Forward

This coming Sunday at 2 am our annual clock fiddling takes place once again.
An hour forward to Daylight Savings Time, payback for that extra hour of sleep, we enjoyed so much back in November.
Spring is not far behind,  just seven short days,  what a lovely thought...…

 

                                                      🐇🐇

Timeless Treasures

I have a fondness for English Staffordshire Ware.

One look at those pastoral village scenes, and I'm transported back to my grandmother's kitchen, where her cupboard displayed shelf upon shelf of these timeless treasures.

I can see the kitchen table covered in a freshly-starched embroidered tablecloth, the milk-jug sitting atop, awaiting the first of many pots of tea served throughout the day.

Treasured memories of gentler times........

 

 

 

One of my favorite collections are from the Alfred Meakin "Tintern" series.

I'm drawn to their bucolic scenes from years gone by.

 

 

"Come along inside ~ We'll see if tea and buns will make the world a better place."

~ Wind in the Willows

 

Home Sweet Home

 

 " A person travels the whole world over
 in search of what he needs

   and returns home to find it. "

 

         ~George Moore

              

                  🏡

News From Gobbler's Knob

 

It appears that winter is not yet over, according to the legendary groundhog Punxsutawney Phil.
Six more weeks and hopefully we'll be well on our way to warmer days and blue skies.

Yesterday I noticed how many Robins had reappeared from their Winter nests, chirping and busying themselves about the landscape, the melting snow had stirred their little feathered souls.
Today, they are silenced once again.

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

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

 

                                                       

                                                   ⛄⛄

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

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.