Winter snooze, chilling seeds

When was the last time you took a nap? Outside on a sled in the snow.

Here is my sleeping girl around Christmas time, on our sledding trip. So peaceful and comfortable. I wish I could take this kind of restful nap. I'm that tired but rarely am able to sleep. I can drift off, but my brain is racing and interferes. Some sort of responsibility keeps me from peacefully shutting down. I used to be able to sleep anywhere anytime. Buses, airplanes, vans head bouncing off the glass window. I often dozed off in class, not able to hold my head up and down it lands on the desk.

The winter has dragged on; Spring is around the corner and it cannot come fast enough. I'm tired of the cloudy days and chilled to the bones dampness. The lack of sun and the small bit of snow we get that melts away as quick as it comes making it hard to enjoy winter activities. Its gloomy.  I much prefer a deep freeze with blue skies.

The new snow fall today was a disappointment to see, but it reminded me of some seeds that I had purchased in the fall.  I had done some garden rearranging in the fall; moved the struggling Hostas to the back garden. Moved the forever spreading lillies to different areas in the back. And cut the Russian Sage in half.  I bought some English Lavender, red Oriental poppies, blue Himalayan Poppies and purple creeping Mother of Thyme seeds for the front garden. Pretty flowers, smelly flowers. The instructions required me to chill the seeds a week before sowing. And sow them  6 weeks before the last frost. And that time is NOW.

So, although winter is still here and spring is just around the corner, its the perfect time to start chilling seeds and getting them ready for the spring garden.

Deep freeze

This is what -5F (-20C) looks like in my town. Fireplace and woodstoves churning wood to heat, smoke exiting the chimney, into the cold air.

A cat or dog attempted to go outside when I opened the door to take a picture. They did a 180 back in.  My dog puts up his nose to this temperature and wont even lift his leg to pee outside.   Although we received a PSA announcement to dress kids accordingly, extra sweater, scarf around face, they didn't close down the schools.  I recall -20C was regular temperatures long ago and where I grew up.  A few hours south of the border and a few degrees warmer, we rarely get -5F.  At least the sun is shining.

Weekend update

One might ask (if they are following the kitchen renovation progress) if I decided on a tile for the kitchen, or at least narrowed down my selection...

the legs of one Maman

I did lay the 5 new samples on the floor to examine from different angles; different lighting.

But, did I decide?

Nope. Because we went looking for winter.

ITs not here where I live... yea I know, it has evaded most of its normal areas. Warm temps and hardly any snow.

Last night, after driving 3.5 hours south, on our return trip, we did hit some snow. 20 miles and so close to home, turned into an hour drive. White out. And flurries. Slowed us down a lot. But by the time we reached our driveway, the snow had eased up. 12 hours later, its gone. But that was JUST last night.

AND, that is not the winter I speak of.

We went to celebrate Winterlude in Ottawa. And we took full advantage of the -20C temps with frigid winds.

BLUE skies.

Frozen Canal.

And HAPPY people - this is me, elated, in sub zero, wind chill temperatures. Hello Ottawa. I miss you.

We brought along two other keen families.

Our goal, skate on the canal, and a few museums.

Accomplished.

Outside: A blustery morning.

1/16/11

Inside: Wintery blooms.

1/13/11

Traffic and weather

In Central New York we seem to get a good dumping of snow for a week each month. And then for the rest of the month it warms up. The snow melts. And then we get a deep freeze preparing us for the next months week of snow. At least this is the pattern thus far, this year.

We are on day 5 of snow in January. Not as much snow landing on the ground as December's Day 5 of snow. Nonetheless, lots of snow and the kids are having fun, (despite no "snow day").

I do not have any snow pictures to share; at least no CURRENT snow pictures.  But while searching through my photos (and reminiscing), I came up with this little collection.

Galata Tower

Traffic in Istanbul, looking down from Galata Tower. Imagine what happens when it snows here! Actually, similar to what happens in Washington D.C. or more currently, Alabama. Things shut down. Everything. Istanbul is very hilly and occasionally they get a snow storm. And naturally, they do not have any snow plows. Take note of the parking in my photo. Love it!

Traffic in my home, looking down in dining room. When my son was 2 - 3, he spent hours playing with his cars. We sat together and created a village and traffic.  There is a line up going through a McDonald's drive-thru. A round-about. A farm and a city. Fond memories. (Too bad I tossed that carpet...it stunk, but now I think I should have kept it) If it snowed in this traffic, all would remain harmonious. He had a collection of snowplows to take care of the elements.

My son fondly remembers traffic in Istanbul. As we departed the airport and into a taxi, he would happily watch the cars ...  inhale exhaust (cough, cough), horns, screeching tires...cacophony at its best.

While walking on the sidewalks in Istanbul, he was firstly amazed, then shocked and then highly offended that motorcycles, when delayed by traffic, would just drive up on the sidewalk regardless of humans and continue their journey. Traffic, a minor inconvenience for them.

Whites

Winter white

Antique white

 Pearly whites (zoom in :))

Here's to a healthy and prosperous 2011

Happy New Year!

No more Christmas shopping ideas

Lace up your skates and have some outdoor fun.

That is where we are headed this afternoon. Merry Christmas!

Ideas for the last minute shopper!

Do you have your stocking ... try this ETSY shop. She will ship first class so it arrives tomorrow:

A chalk board piggy bank. Keep track of your savings. COOL!

A hat to keep your baby's head warm and her look cool! Etsy knitwit

And warmth in a bottle for the adults.

The Little Prince, the pop up version!

4 shopping days left

Forget shopping, GO SKIING (or do some kind of  family activity)

 That will put a smile on the face and a lasting memory.

Relax and enjoy the holiday.

A glorious day for felling a tree

Off to find our tree (in Heigburg Forest).

We have our saw.

Chaz picked the tree and started to saw. I dusted the snow off the tree and wondered if it would fit in the family room. The tree was fat, but all of them are, I convinced myself.

Sun stepped in and felled the tree! The tractor came and carried the tree back to the car. Fresh FAT trees are HEAVY!

What a glorious day for felling a tree, a Christmas tree!

 

The tree is HUGE.  Thankful our [strong] friend dropped by just as we needed to haul the tree inside.
I will learn the true meaning of trimming a tree, once I find my hedge clippers!