Snow on the Brain

Snow on the brain. Friday, students couldn’t concentrate with the 8″ to 15″ forecast of snow for the weekend.  I had the 5-year-old students measure varying snow depths on a meter stick. Their eyes! Most had never experienced a local snow. 

Weathermen foamed on about the upcoming blizzard; grocery store shelves emptied of breads, eggs, milk; everyone decided they needed gas – even though warned not to drive during the storm. My sister and I waited in the snow party line at the ABC (liquor) store. Snowmageddon.

Sunday afternoon. We’ve about binge-watched all that Netflix has to offer. I’ve sewed an entire quilt top. We’ve sweat pant-ed, hot cocoa-ed, fudge brownie-ed ourselves to the extreme. No school tomorrow; maybe not on Tuesday. 

I’m not complaining. I rather like sleeping in. Think I’ll make chili and cornbread tonight. Oh, yeah . . . I have a bottle of Bailey’s.

Stay warm! – – Joanne

 

 

2015: A Pretty Good Year Afterall

 

2015. Hmmm. . .  It started with snow. A lot. We played rustic in a tiny cabin. In more snow. 🙂  My family was healthy. George retired. Summer was idyllic. I learned how to preserve blueberries. Concerned about cut-backs at work, I promoted an online shop featuring quilts and assorted vintage collectibles. Even with some fantastically hectic days, I was able to fulfill holiday orders on time. I acquired a new past-time; walking through a nearby maritime forest, which has proven to be quite restorative from the weekday rush.  All in all, it was a good year. . . And it ended with humid, 80°F (27°C) weather. The botanicals are very confused.

My 2015 year in photo review:

Crabtree Falls, Blue Ridge Mountains, Virginia

 

Crabtree Falls Under March Snow

Isn’t spring great? We just returned from a trip to northern Virginia to visit Old Lucketts Store. Yep, THAT Lucketts you’ve seen in Country Living, Flea Market Decor and Southern Living magazines. But, I wanted to share a few end-of-March photos from our recent stay in a tiny log cabin – which was precipitated by my sister’s desire for sunrise photographs of Crabtree Falls located in the George Washington National Forest, just after a snowfall. 

Crabtree Falls is up there somewhere!

Crabtree Falls is considered the highest vertical-drop cascading waterfall east of the Mississippi. We made the vertical climb in the summer heat, with multiple breaks to catch our breath about two years ago.

Dreaming of Warm Weather

So…like everyone else living on the US east coast, we had a few more school snow days.

So what’s one to do when cabin fever sets in? Take your mother out for some southern comfort food.

If one went by today’s forecast, one would think Spring must be just around the corner. 

source: wavy.com

And…Thursday’s forecast is back down to the low 30°F’s with a chance for snow. Like I said, crazy! I can not fathom Massachusetts’  total snowfall. Incomprehensible. I’m sure I am not the only one itching for Spring’s arrival in 16 days on March 20. Remind me when I complain of the heat in July. 😉

George and I will be my photographer sister’s guests at a 150-year-old cabin tucked in the low hills of the Virginia Blue Ridge Mountains this weekend.  At least this snow should be pretty.  I knew there was a reason to learn how to quilt! We’ll definitely bring a few with us on the trip. Hopefully it won’t be too cold and we’ll get a nice portfolio of images.

Try to stay warm! – – Joanne  

 

Quilt #4 :: Chevron

Baby, it’s cold outside!

Back to work this Monday. Due to a 4-6 inch sow-ice-snow combination, schools were closed all week. Sweats, TV binging, baked cookies and hot cocoa. Staying inside, trying to keep warm. I tackled another quilt project.

I’m starting to get the hang of these mathematical things.

But, I must admit, piecing the chevrons on a slant is not for the spatially impaired.  This one beat me up. 😉  Please don’t look too closely!

Crazy weather these days. Phoebe Darling awoke, so Dylann absconded with the quilt 🙂 

Have a good week! – – Joanne

2 Hour Delay :: A Beautiful Thing

I almost wore my pajamas inside out last night. Hoping to go back to sleep, I barely opened my eyelids as I surveyed the early morning news crawl. A 2-hour delay! I’ll take it.

 

It’s true. Coastal Virginians don’t know how to drive on snow or ice – to the ire and lamentation of my mid-west friends.

 

Hardly an inch forecasted and we clear grocery store shelves.

Wishing our northern neighbors safety and warmth during Winter Storm Juno – – Joanne