Playtimes

A little project I have worked to restore in these days of isolation , has been this antique dolly bed.

My great-granddaughter loves to play with her dollies.

First a gentle sanding, and then two applications of child-friendly paint. 

Next, I ordered two bespoke waterslide decals from England, and applied them to the headboard and footboard.

A vintage treasure reborn.

🧡

February Days

After days of being cocooned in a blanket of white, temperatures have slowly warmed and sunshine has once again become our welcomed companion.
My plans were to clean-up around the garden today, but melting snow has the earth completely soaked, not the best kind of conditions if you are unsteady underfoot.
The tiny birds have reappeared, happily foraging amongst the bushes and shrubs, no longer a prisoner in their little nests made of sticks.
An entire week without venturing farther than the front porch, my to-do list is as long as my arm. 
 

 

Winter Nesting

 

Cocooned in a blanket of ice and snow, our days are not much different from the isolating COVID days.
Days seem to run into weeks and weeks into months.
Many businesses are shuttered closed, employees unable to navigate the treacherous roads, especially the more rural ones that are left untreated.
I'm extremely grateful for a refrigerator and pantry full of food, and a house that is warm and cozy.
Others are not so lucky.

Snow Day

 And The Snow Came.

  

 

 

 

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

Winter Days

Our days have been filled with glorious sunshine.

The daffodils are shooting up from the ground, offering the promise of spring.

I tidied around the porches and fiddled in the potting shed yesterday, it's hard to stay cooped up when the sun is shining.

After a welcomed, warm and sunshiny day, today it's back to rain, dark and dreary.

A cozy day to enjoy inside.

Wishing you peace, in whatever little corner of the world, you call home.....

    

All Creatures Great and Small: Official Trailer

Masterpiece Theatre's 50th celebration kicks off with the new beloved James Herriot series All Creatures Great And Small,  based on the books by James Alfred Wright.

As Wright wrote the All Creatures series as an autobiographical account, to protect his identity, he created the name James Herriot as a pseudonym.

Treat yourself to a nice pot of tea, finish off those left-over Mince Pies, and settle in for a delightful evening of entertainment. Sunday 8pm.

Check your local listings for times.

                                                   🏡

Tea-Sipping Day

There are whispers of the "s" word in the forecast, just when the sunshine has returned, and green shoots are popping up all over the garden.
I hope the weather-forecasters have missed the mark on this one.

The Christmas decorations were returned to their boxes this morning, another year done and dusted.

We've been spending our days binge -watching Poldark *swoon* on Public Broadcasting Service, my annual donation affords a "Passport" status, allowing unlimited streaming  episodes of Masterpiece Theatre throughout the year.

A little respite in an otherwise chaotic world.

Peace on Earth, Goodwill To All 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

Time-Worn

The creaking silence of age.

I like Old.

Great Depression

worn-in (not worn-out)

favorite quilt

classic car.

I like the way Old feels.

Sheets washed a thousand times

frayed around the stitching

busting from stories.

I like the way Old sounds.

Creaky wooden floors

heaters that pop and snap

doors that slam like they really mean it!

I like the way Old looks.

chipped paint

worn corners

rust

not from neglect or carelessness, but from use.

I'd live in an Old house

with a big Old front porch.

One that heaves to tell me someone is home

and echos of little feet running across it.

I like Old.

~Holy Glasgow

Christmas Magic

 One of my all-time favorite Christmas cards, from the American Humane Association.

It just melts my heart.

 ❤