Wonderful Winter

Where does the time go! I've not been here in more than a week. I managed to fill every minute of it with work, chores, painting, making jewelry, having visits here and there, and one trip to town. It is customarily the summer season that we're most busy and when I think of all we'll add to the mix when spring and summer come along, I wonder how I will manage. I take it one day at a time though and some night's falling into bed feels better than others.

My daughter and her beast, as well as her boyfriend, are visiting this weekend. It's wonderful to see her though she is not staying here. Only one serious mishap occurred involving the pooch and it is more my fault than the dog's. I put the cat's food bowls on the large jewelry table in the studio when the dog started to eat the cat food. I forgot to put it back on the floor for the cats. One of the cats jumped on the table through the night and knocked a whole box of earrings onto the floor. They were everywhere and hopefully there are none missing.

Winter has been extraordinarily beautiful this week. The cold temperatures of the previous week were gone and we had light snow a couple of times which made the landscape really gorgeous. We had a bit of freezing rain on Friday which covered tree branches with a thin layer of ice. Heavy frosts occurred twice this week, as well, so frosted trees greeted anyone out on early morning drives to work.

Here are a couple songs to celebrate this wonderful season. It used to be I wanted to be in warmer climates in the winter. Since my 'shoulder/arm/kidney' winter two years ago, lots of things changed about me and one is my renewed enjoyment in winter. Here's David Francey with February Morning Drive and Emily Smith with Winter Song. Both sing with Scottish accents but David came to Canada years ago so we get to claim him.

I also have a song for Valentine's Day and it is an oldie but goody. Dusty Springfield was so great in her time and I love her singing The Look of Love. Enjoy the Day.

Round and Round and Everywhere

This first week of January week has gone so, so fast! It's hard to believe it's Friday already. I think it has to so with how busy I've been. I've hardly been in the house this week. I had planned to finish up some painting to start some glass work but didn't get much done and nothing finished. Moments ago I got the go-ahead take my car in for the bodywork it requires as the result of last week's accident. The body shop has ordered the parts. Yeah! I'll have a rent a car for three or four days which will be a treat after my old jalopy.

I've been making ice candles but the success of the endeavour is entirely dependent on weather. They won't stay lit if it is snowing or raining and they melt if the temperature gets warm or it rains. I've been having fun with them though. I've promised to make some for some various friends.

I went for a longish but very brisk walk today. I didn't have time for lingering but wanted to get out there. I would say I was speed-walking without the exaggerated arm movements. I know it certainly did the job as far as raising the heart rate to provide a good fitness workout.

I have a nice Celtic/folk style song, Winter Song by Scottish singer, Emily Smith, with it's nice soft sound for one of the songs today. This week has been a beautiful winter week. Since the huge blizzard on the 1st day of the month I've been lots of places and seen incredible snow drifts and sculptural effects that have been really beautiful. My Shutterchance blog had a few nice ones featured.

You can listen to something with more energy too. It's an old timer's song. I grew up with this and other Hank Snow songs. If it was old country, I grew up with it. The aunt I just visited told me once of meeting Hank Snow a long time ago. Her parents were musicians living in Nova Scotia, as Hank was. It was when I had a Phoebe Snow song here that she told me this story. She wondered if they were related. Anyway, here is Hank Snow with I've Been Everywhere. That is the kind of week I've had.