This has been an unbelievable winter both in the sustained cold and the snow cover! I have to admit, while I’m now itching for spring to arrive, I’ve loved the winter we’ve had! We’ve had snow on the ground since mid January and just received a whopping 16 inches just as it was starting to melt. I’d much rather see white than brown grass, though I can certainly do without the ice! We’ve had many a fire, made lots of soups and settled in under favorite blankets to read or watch a movie. Also, I’ve gotten a chance to wear all of my beloved knit sweaters, corduroys have been on repeat and my coats have gotten a workout!
Celebrate
We are a family that loves The Olympics, summer and winter. Thus, we have enjoyed watching in the evenings when we can. I particularly enjoyed watching a Mom win the bobsled and hug her nanny right then and there. I thought it a powerful reminder of what it takes to train for the Olympics, especially for women. I also enjoyed figured skating and the joy that our gold medalist seemed to have on the ice and the grace that our gold medalist hopeful showed when he struggled. Perhaps my favorite quote from the olympics came from a 44 year old freestyle snowboarder who said, “I’ve never had so much fun losing in all of my life!!” What joy and spirit it takes to have that attitude! I made a cake for opening ceremony, which we watched with friends. The cake was the fastest cake I’ve ever made, was a bit wonky, but still a lot of fun.
We also celebrated Valentine’s Day. I’m a believer in a family Valentine’s (is it awful to admit Bryce and I have never really celebrated?) so we all three (Grace is home) had a lovely dinner in front of the fire together. I sent Harris a care package with heart marshmallows along with our own hot chocolate that we all love!
Before Grace and Bryce headed out to do some long weekend skiing we had heart waffles. I’m not a proponent of having many specialized appliances in my kitchen but this heart waffle maker has earned its place over the past 30 years! I pull it out every Christmas and Valentines’ and I love it. Worth it!
In The Library
In an effort to stop the doom scrolling, I’ve been absolutely flying through the books. The library is my best friend! Of particular note are the books All The Colors of The Dark by Chris Whitaker– extraordinary book, whose characters I still think about. During the blizzard, I started, and finished, The Correspondent by Virginia Evans. I loved it and thought it a dear book plus I loved the epistolary format. I purchased the book, Wonderlands: British Gardener Designers at Home by Claire Coulson and have spent many an hour plotting, planning and dreaming of how to get in tiny snippets of the beauty from their gardens into our own landscape. The rolling pastural English countryside we are not, but we will try!
In The Garden
I spent a fair amount of time planning out the garden, new areas to plant and ordering any new seeds I needed. Grace and I even went to a seed exchange that was great fun. The camaraderie was wonderful but we were absolutely delighted that someone spent the time to make darling envelopes for their seeds (see the rudbeckia and black knight scabiosa above). I’m feeling behind on some of my seed starting because I literally can’t get into the greenhouse due to the snow and heave of the ground!
It feels as if we are on the cusp of spring, even though we have so much snow on the ground, and, after that is gone, so much mud to look forward too! I’ve been thankful for this down time but I’ll be ready to see some flowers (the hellebores next I think!) and get growing some fresh food (rhubarb and peas!). I hope you are well and warm whoever you are!
