I wiped away the weeds & foam. / I fetched my sea-born treasures home... Ralph Waldo Emerson







Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Random Wintery Notes : Puttering Around and Shop at Home

rare [for the beach] cardinal, coming in closer for food?
He's been out there with his ladies all week.

Hi everyone! Happy February..."Oh the weather outside is frightful..." It really is pretty bad, 2015 is shaping up to be a nasty winter, isn't it? And as the ice-and-snow days keep coming, it gets hard to stay focused and accomplish all those things you put off last summer, when you thought, Something to do in February.



I have to pee out HERE?

Some tasks are so tiny, so tedious. LOL. Like I cleaned the threads off the roller thing on the big vacuum. Yay! I moved the large chests in the bedroom to sweep out the dust bunnies hiding by the baseboards. I prepped a quilt to be sent off to a new quilter, for custom quilting, finger crossed!




I sorted the herbs on my fridge door, washed their shelves. I found out I had two little jars of poppy seeds, of all things---plus a mix for lemon cake in the baking bin. Oh goody! A lemon poppy seed bundt sounded delicious.




I also found a can of Duff's cupcake frosting, hmmm. I think I will mix it with a few tablespoons of my Christmas Grand Marnier and drizzle it on my cake . Then I'll slice the cake and freeze it so I have a nice tea cake all ready if a friend stops in for a visit and a cup of tea. Surely with all the snow shovelling we've done we can have a sliver of cake?



Let's see what else? Oh I made chili again. I revised my recipe: use two large cans of tomato paste, not one plus a can  fireroasted tomatoes. They make the chili too watery.



And while I was hunting around for I think fabric dye (I keep my dyes on a high kitchen shelf where no one will accidentally mess with them) and I found this collection of adorable pastel McCoy pots. 




So sweet, so spring-y. I think maybe they once held my mom's African violet collection and/ or some were dump dug back in Illinois, by my dad.




I plan to fill them with tiny daffodils or primroses if I ever get to the flower store. Or maybe windowsill herbs?



Sadly I immediately fumbled and dropped the little pink pot! My fave! It just makes the collection so perfect, so I glued it back together. But I was sad. Maybe closet rummaging is a bad idea?



 I had fun shopping in my cupboards, finding the cute pots, a couple of big Mason jars, and a base for another pincushion. Despite the loss of pinky. [something to look for next spring at the flea]. Who knows what I'd find in the closets....




I am ordering a special heating pad for Mo's crib. He sleeps in his crate at night and when I get him up each morning his fur is so cold! I've upped the heat in that room to 65* for him, my usual is 55", but he still seems cold. This is a non-electric microwave warming pad. I hope he is warm and cozy with it. Snuggle-Safe




My paper whites, week 2:






And last note: remember how I said the cold air is invigorating? That it seems like it has extra oxygen. Well, who knew! It does.

''Cooler air is more dense than warmer air. Warm air can actually hold more moisture because molecules are farther apart, making more room for moisture. Cold air is dense and compact; it's "thicker," so when you breathe in you get more oxygen.''  Cold air DOES have more oxygen

So, get out and enjoy the good cold air, icy days excepted of course.

love

lizzy

gone to the beach.....

below, snow encrusted dunes...I wish you could have seen them last night under the full moon. They glowed.









6 comments:

  1. That is also why it is harder to run at a higher elevation!
    Cute little pots you found. Sounds like you are staying busy.

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  2. Your paperwhites are pretty, and those little colorful pots are so sweet! Sorry you broke the pink one. Isn't that always the way it goes? You break your favorite? They'd be cute with herbs on a windowsill (preferably one Mo can't reach!)

    Your cake looks YUMMY!! I love lemon poppyseed! If I lived nearby I'd be there with my own plate and fork, LOL.

    Still now snow here but it's COLD and a little windy. It was only 18* when I went to the grocery store. Crazy, crazy weather!

    Keep puttering, but be careful! No dropping things on YOU!

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    1. And yeesh, the liyttle pots are $$$ on eBay. Some are as much as 49.99! such a classic eBay price. There was a pink one I found 9.99, but like 15.oo shipping? Anyway broken pinky would be sad if I goit a replacement, right? LOL> Yes even my flower pots have feelings...

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  3. Oh the cardinal is so pretty, we don't get to see them out here. They are a favorite of my favorite Aunt. Can't see one without thinking of her.

    I envy your motivation and energy to accomplish tasks. The little pots are so cute. African Violets were a favorite of my Mom and I always try to keep at least one in the house. It's nice to know that your Mom also liked them.

    Now see, I couldn't make a cake and freeze it to have on hand for visitors. If it's in the house, it is not safe from me!

    The kitties from last weekend got a lucky break. The girl that trapped them is going to relocate them to the area where she lives. They'll kind of be living in her back yard. She'll be able to feed them regularly and keep them safe, or at least safer than where they were living in LA.

    Hope you all get a break from the cold, grey weather soon.

    Kel

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    Replies
    1. Hi Kel! Are you having a big storm? Pineapple Express? It would be funny if it didn t sound scary.. I couldn t tell on the weather guy's map how far south it extended, hope you re ok.

      LOL. How long til those kitties finagle their way into your friend's house and onto the bed? But really wonderful to hear . Each rescue and care situation is a huge victory.

      Today at the market the African violets were so beautiful. But I resisted. I have a very green thumb, my plants never die [tho Mo may eat them]...and I d still be babying that violet in 25 years.

      More snow is coming. I kinda hate it. Bec of maybe falling or knowing me getting attacked by a falling icicle or something. But I do enjoy the cold...

      have a good weekend, let me know how you are!

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    2. All fine here, the storm is north of us.

      My feeling is it won't be long before the cats make their way into her home. She DOES already have four siblings that she took in during the summer from the same area of LA! Bless her heart.

      My thumb isn't as green as yours, so I don't have to think about how many plants I will be caring for in 25 years :)

      Oh, MORE snow! Haha, for sure you need to watch for attack icicles, or some other random act of sabotage on your person. I hope your hand is feeling better?

      So, I need to tell YOU to stay safe and let us know how you are.

      Happy weekend!! Tell Mo to keep your warm.

      Kel

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