The Easter Banners Have Officially.....

(part of the itchy offenders........sans beads....)

.....been started. I spent half a day getting foamcore up, fabric spread out, pinned, measured, etc etc........
I was only crawling on the table twice and a few trips on the floor from side to side. This is going to be interesting, to say the least! The spirit is willing and the body, well, the body has other ideas!LOL!
I also have discovered that *something* in the inported fringe is giving me allergy fits, and I have a LOT of fringe to handle yet. Buy me a 50 gallon drum of liquid Benadryl and dip me! (now I know how sheep feel being sent for their requisite *sheep dip*.......hmmmm.....)
On Sunday afternoon, when everyone else was watching pre-superbowl foo-foo I was starting the construction of the tassles, so I guess I have my Mojo back and somewhat working, or I am toeing the line of panic mode on getting these OUT in time for the holiday when they are to hang. My guess is panic.......and then there is the next large piece.....
At any rate, I may not have interesting things to post for a bit ("See, I sewed a seam"...."See, I sewed 6 billion beads"...."See, I sewed myself to the banner! HA!") unless the weather allows me to get some cool pics to post! And I am too lazy to go through my old photo files and find something.
So, y'all know where I will be, and what I'm up to.
Now, adding to the daunting studio task at hand, the fact that DH's work has already been delayed until 10 a.m. with snow that is coming down very fine and very fast says two things to me:

Quantity.
--&--
White-out blizzard conditions.

Quantity I can handle fairly well--there's food in the house and gas in the propane tank, there is gas in the small can for the snowblower, but blizzard conditions bring on power outtages, and when we lose power, we lose EVERYTHING. Lights, water, and even with a gas furnace, heat---as the days of the pilot light are long gone. So I will no doubt be doing my ritual reminiscent of that one Mel Gibson movie, where the little girl has glasses of water all over the house! I swear to you, I think of that when I start drawing up large buckets and baths and pots and pans of water.......
And of course, this being a home of around 17 years, there is NO alternate heat source. I have pushed for a  gas fireplace for the same amount of time, and the pleas fall upon deaf ears.
I know Indiana in the Winter, and she can be a real bitch when she wants to!
(ahem!)
Now that the *whine* is out of my system, I feel better, thank you! ;-)
So I am off for some extremely quiet moments of coffee and prep work and praying this storm passes quickly and with whatever level of safety is possible in such.
In the meantime, I hope all who read today are safe and warm, and please if you can, stay in and be creative! The weather is such a good excuse!

Pax.

Welcome Aboards and Why I Need Custodial Care.......

First off, Welcome to new followers that I have neglected to post a happy and heart Hello to! Forgive me....age and cabin fever are taking their toll.

This is, for the most part, an artless post, other than the photos, taken at approximately 11:00 a.m. yesterday. The snow was coming down very heavily, and I, in my infinite wisdom, found it too hard to resist just walking on the porch to snag a few images. Up by the house it was clear; how could this hurt? What trouble could I get into?

My favorite vista, across the road....quickly becoming obscured from the snow swirling in from the East. Beautiful, but I know those Nor'Easters bring lots of the white stuff.....

My glass hummingbird feeder, that should be in the house, wearing a lovely white topknot and a bit of a white kiss on the feeding flower. This, this bright bit of red, was what drew me out. It must have been my inner-magpie responding to the shiny tid-bit......

Then I got brave and decided to walk on around the porch (large, L shaped) where there was snow, but hey.....I have a cane and I am being careful, right? No harm.....just take my time. The pines really showed off the weather continuing to roll in at an alarming pace.

And not to be forgotten, my favorite tulip tree, covering with snow. I was at the very end of the porch, having naughty thoughts about stepping off and going out in the yard. As the title says, I need custodial care. I need a leash that only lets me go so far and then reels me back in.

Quickly.

Before more stupid ideas come, and they always do......

What stopped me from further *adventures* was the fact that the bottom of my shoes were so caked with snow, I was having trouble balancing, even with the cane. So it was back indoors for me.

And now the fun part. Why, you may ask, do I want to see a photo of your shoes?

Because, gentle readers, I stepped in and my feet immediately FROZE TO THE DOORMAT. Yep, couldn't move. Couldn't get the shoes off, couldn't get the snow off, did NOT have the phone (all thebraincells were obviously not working)---I stood there, stuck, in every sense of the word! And I knew if DH got wind of this, I would be in deep something-or-other, because I'm not---repeat NOT---supposed to be out when he isn't here, or someone semi-competent.

There I stood, cussing, and working up enough hot air that something must have loosened the shoes from the grabby doormat. I immediately stepped over to my good, wool, hall runner and did a backwards scoot that looked much like a pooch when it has a nether region that needs scratching. It was ugly. It was funny. It was on my BEST RUG!!!!

So the lesson is, maybe I should listen to DH.

Or get the leash with the choke collar.

I am thinking he, if he reads this---and sometimes he does, would vote for the second....  :-)

Have a day with all options open to you, and no *getting stuck* in any way!!! LOL!!!

I bid you, from my humble, warm casa/prison.....

Pax.

Off for the follow-up......

....I'll post tomorrow about what I found out. If I've *been good*, if things *look good*, if it's all starting to *heal good*.................the word good is involved in this far too many times for my comfort level! I am never THAT GOOD!!!!!  ;-)
All yesterday afternoon and into the early evening it snowed. It snowed Christmas snow; the type that starts with the big fluffy flakes that are languid and slow in their descent and soon turned into a more rapid, smaller continuous snow that will not be stopped. It is beautiful beyond words and  is sort of a late Christmas present for me.....the eternal child, always wishing for a white Christmas.
I don't know what we got out of it; hopefully the roads will be clear between here and Fort Wayne, which is usually an hour and twenty minute drive.
I am thinking, this morning, there is much to be said for a few horses and a sleigh......besides the perk of free fertilizer for the flowerbed come Spring. LOL!!!
Until later......

Pax.

P.S. I had to include this of my dear, dear hubby, out making sure we could get out the driveway.....he looked like Frosty the Snowman when he came in, poor boy! He has had his hands full with me; I don't know how he tolerates it! (plus, he does indeed read the blog, so he knew I had been up to mischief while he was sleeping. hmmmmph! LOL!!!)

Yes, it is a huge, double drive.....

Just..........Snow...........

(click to enlarge the photo; you can see some of the snowflakes falling!)

Yesterday I was quite venturous for a limping *decrepee* on a cane, knowing I could NOT go out but desperately wanting to capture the feeling of early morning snow and the peaceful countryside and the indescribable quiet that comes with it. How quickly we take things for granted, such as going where we please, when we please, without assistance. Yes, I am supposed to use the red walker all the time but in certain areas, the cane is safer. Especially standing by the open studio door, PJs still on, being blasted with snow and cold and shooting a very few photos. It was wonderful! There was that one moment of feeling like I was my old self, doing exactly what I wanted to do and mostly the delight of holding the camera! (and also knowing DH was probably still sound asleep so I would not be scolded for said transgressions.....heehee!)
This is not elegant photography, nor an award winner, but it is special for me. I will remember it as the first photo, one week to the day after surgery, on my feet and heading back to the land of the kicking, running and otherwise those who manage to find trouble.....A.K.A......Anne-Land. (you're all welcome there!) Yes, I'm behaving quite well, doing what I was told for proper recovery, but little things like this.....you just have to grab the chance!
I will be happy when I can get out here and stir up a good creative mess but in the meantime, my gentle readers shall have to suffice with the boring day-to-day "Brain Plops of a Recovering Old Fart".......sigh......if that I had more to offer.
Until better-brain days, and my wicked wit being fully recovered from the Rx's (because I believe I am temporarily mellowed in a few departments) I ask you bear with me.
It will get more entertaining; I promise!  ;-)
Have a wonderful day....I bid you......

Pax.

What IS THIS????

Did I not, the other day, say Spring must be on the way?

This doesn't look at all like Spring to me.

In fact, it looks more like the return and revenge of Old Man Winter!

This was what I woke to yesterday morning. It was still dark when I opened the garage door for DH and yes, it was snowing and yes, some was on the twigs of the bush honeysuckle and I saw that.......

However, when the sun came up and I saw---once again!---my poor magnolia covered with snow and icicles, I was heartsick. Almost every year it gets frozen, snowed on, wind battered, you name it. In fact, the one year it bloomed completely out (and was GORGEOUS!!!) DH said, "How long have we had that tree because I don't remember seeing it before".

Well he was right because I get this in full bloom about once every seven years.....

So for those of you who live in the South and have those marvelous white Saucer Magnolias, I flat out envy you! Just once would I like to have a few to float in a large bowl of water inside, to put on the table at Easter, to walk in the yard and smell the sweet lemony aroma that only a magnolia can produce.

Let's face it. I live too far North.

I suppose now that I've griped I need to be creative and do something art wise that will be a bit of balm for my soul.

You too! And I hope you don't have SNOW, which---by the way---is a four letter word!

Have a warm, good, artsy, creation filled day!

P.S. I hate to admit that all that snow did provide the opportunity for me to get some beautiful photos from the porch. Yes I was good. I just stayed on the porch and shot what I could.......