Is this a January thaw we are having? How can it be when we haven’t had much snow or cold yet? Well, I won’t complain with the sun climbing higher and brighter, the sunsets and sunrises exquisitely beautiful, the temperatures in the high forties these past two days, and this time of resting in January perfect.
The wind settled in from the southwest on the first day of winter, so it appears the next three months will be warmer than usual. I’m sure we’ll have some good winter days though I won’t be disappointed if they are few. The wind from the valley was quite forceful the other day as it brought in these warm temperatures. It tossed around furniture on the porch that normally stays put when the wind blows and the wind chimes are tangled up for the first time I can remember. I’m hoping the clouds will slide through so the full moon can be seen tonight. I do love the full moon in winter.
Snowmen and hats
I had made hats for all the non-married grandchildren this year and they seemed to be appreciative of their simple gifts. Karen tells me that Heidi has been taking hers to bed with her at night and carrying her new socks around in it during the day. I wonder if she wears it? Then Kate sent a picture of Sam, who will be two on Monday, playing out in the snow with his new hat on his head and a huge smile on his face! Such pleasure and I loved making those twelve lovely hats.
the eyes and buttons were chocolate chips drizzled with fancy maple syrup
Another little delight that brought huge smiles from Garrett and Heidi, while they were here for our family Christmas, was making them snowman pancakes. The eyes and buttons were chocolate chips and the snowman was then drizzled with their Great Uncle Steve’s Vermont fancy maple syrup. I’m just trying to create lasting memories for them. My Grandmother Elliott used to give me a soft-boiled egg in a beautiful egg cup along with Pepperidge Farm toast with butter and cottage cheese on it. That was a scrumptious treat for me.
Quilts of beauty
Dick took a quick trip to New Hampshire recently to visit his sister, Barb, and to attend a memorial quilt exhibit in honor of their Mom, Connie Bastille. She had a collection of quilts and wall hangings that she had both made and collected over the years and her influence in quilting in Peterborough was highly well-known. The community wanted to honor her with this tribute of her contributions of love for quilting. How blessed and beautiful each life is and just how far reaching it is is not determined by us. We really don’t know the scope of our ripples in the water or our influence in our communities. But we should never stop being who we are or doing what we do. It matters.
We don’t really know the scope of our ripples in the water or our influence in our communities
I am enjoying this month and am slowly getting what seems to be endless boxes of papers and correspondence sorted and either filed or tossed. One area of my life that has never, and I do mean never, been under complete control is my desk and office area. I can’t stand a cluttered kitchen or living room, but my desk didn’t seem as important and is usually cluttered. One of my goals for January is to have fewer piles (for I know there will always be piles), not as high piles, and important papers in individually marked notebooks. Last year I conquered the useless incoming mail daily and filed it in the trash. Now on to filing keepers and not stacking them in piles! That is my goal for the desk and office.
The Schoolhouse is going to be for sale or for rent. We have decided to see if someone wants to rent the corner store because we really like being home and don’t want to have another business in another location. We like what we are doing here with the bed and breakfast and baked goods. That seems to be enough for this stage of our lives. So, please pass the word that the Schoolhouse is for sale or rent by owner!
Calendars
Calendars. I’ve been thinking about calendars lately and wonder why it is so difficult to find a calendar that indicates the phases of the moon each month? Not only that, but “free” calendars aren’t given out like they used to be and I miss that but maybe I’m just not out and about enough to find the free business ones. It seems that if I need to buy a calendar it might at least have the moon information on it, but maybe the lovely pictures make up for it. Oh, and for the first time ever: one of my calendars said that January 6 was “Three King’s Day.” What’s the deal? Do people not realize what Epiphany is or not know how to look it up in a dictionary or google it? Anyway, I laughed at that one especially since they weren’t kings and we really don’t know how many Magi came to Bethlehem. Well, that’s all I have to say about calendars…….for now.
Have a beautiful January. I am. Love, Sharon