Quote of the Day: John Steinbeck
“What good is the warmth of summer without the cold of winter to give it sweetness?”
John Steinbeck (Travels with Charley in Search of America)
Yesterday we spent a lot of time outside preparing for winter. It was cold, but it was good. I don’t mind being cold if there’s a fire to warm up by somewhere close. Today will be more of the same, stock tank heaters need to go into the duck ponds, pigs need extra hay for bedding, the last of the potted planted need to be moved into the garage, firewood needs moved and stacked, the roses need mulching along with so many other things. I certainly enjoy doing these chores when it’s cold outside and I enjoy coming back inside for a nice cup of hot chocolate afterwards!
If you have never read Travels with Charlie you should. Better yet, get the audiobook version and listen to it on your next road trip. You won’t be disappointed!
What’s on your getting ready for winter chore list?
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Making it Beautiful
Last month I painted my office, it needed a bit of spruce up. Even though it was painted a lighter color, the walls were dirty and it needed to be brighter. I spend a lot of time in this room and really wanted to be surrounded by something nice while I work.
I cut up some of my old calendars and purchased a few old botanical prints off Etsy.
I really wanted something that I could change frequently if I wanted to so no frames were used. The plan is to fill the wall around the corner.
Little metal clips were used to hang the prints, I pushed sewing pins to hang them on. Since none of the artwork is heavy they work very well.
Inspirational quotes are also being printed and added. I’ll probably change them out every now and then, perhaps for something seasonal.
Overall I’m happy with the way it’s turning out so far. It certainly makes the office bright and cheery, it will be especially nice during the long white winter! I usually don’t hang much stuff on the walls preferring more of a blank slate.
What’s your favorite way to decorate walls and add color to a room?
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Friday Favorite: Winter Sunrises
Winter means leafless trees and that means the sunrises can be seen far and wide. I’m not sure why, but it also seems that the sunrises and sunsets are much more beautiful this time of year. A few weeks ago we woke up to a very thick blanket of snow, thankfully the sunrise was also stunning that morning.
In Ohio we saw the sunset more than the sunrise. Here in Maine our house is on a hill so we’re lucky to enjoy both of them.
This is one of the wonderful things I savor in the winter. There’s nothing quite like watching the sun come up over the horizon with a warm cup of coffee in your hand.
Do you get to see sunrises/sunsets from your house?
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Extra Spring in Her Step
Terrible T is a winter dog, which is understandable with the thick double coat. Once the weather dips down into the teens she’s a completely different dog. It’s like she’s a puppy again with boundless energy.
She rolls in the snow and has a GREAT time. I can’t take her on hikes in the summer, she’s simply too hot. Now that the weather has cooled down we’ve been taking hikes in the afternoon. She had a grand time sniffing deer trails, peeing on fox scat, and rolling in the snow. I can’t blame her, I love the cold as well. Back when I was a runner I much preferred running when the temperature was below 30.
Do you like the cooler weather?
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Potting up Peppers
I harvested all my peppers almost two months ago, they’ve been living in containers on the back porch. This time of year my back porch is like a walk in cooler, it keeps things fresh forever. We’ve been eating fresh peppers almost daily. The time had come for the rest of them to go into the freezer.
So I chopped, and chopped, and chopped some more. I fried, and fried, and fired some more. Pretty soon all the peppers were prepped and ready to be saved for eating this winter.
I ended up with a nice little stockpile of peppers to enjoy this winter. No doubt they’ll be enjoyed in omelets, on pizza, and in fajitas.
What are you preserving from the garden this week?
