Hello, Farmgirl Friends! Happy February!
My brother just called a few minutes ago to catch up. He was sitting on his patio, enjoying the beautiful Texas weather – currently about 69 degrees with full sun. I was just stirring a pot of toasty homemade soup on the stove, after taking my dogs out with ice cleats on my shoes, since there is no ground here that is not covered in a thick layer of frozen, icy snow. “I don’t know how you do it!” I hear that phrase from many of my “warmer weather” family and friends. Still, each season has its own charm, and there are some things that are wonderful in winter, no matter where you live!
New England has four distinct seasons. I love the summer, with its fresh veggies and warm, sunny days. By the time I have had enough of the heat, that wonderful cold snap of autumn rolls in, followed by the cozy charm of the winter holidays, that carries us straight through to mid-January. I’m sighing, as it is still “nesting” season here. I’ve kept busy through January, but now I am “chompin at the bit” for a “thaw”!
I do love the snow. One of my favorite things about it is the “scent” of snow that wafts into the air before a storm. My father always laughed about the first time I saw snow, phoning him at 4 AM to shout, “It’s snowing! It’s snowing!” We lost him last fall, and I am missing just talking about the weather with him. This past month, I enjoyed all my relatives and friends texting ME pictures of the several inches of snow that recently fell in the south, something that had not happened in quite some time. A small snowfall happened in the Houston area in 2021, but measurable snow had not fallen since 1895!
I must have sounded really “homesick”, because one of my dear, sweet farmgirl friends, who also lives in Texas, sent me this adorable tea towel this week. So sweet! Over thirty years later, I still miss the sight of Texas bluebonnets. The nice thing about warmer climates is when you get a cold snap, it only lasts a bit. The tea towel lifted my spirits and warmed my heart, and looks adorable in the kitchen. Farmgirls are the best!
Here in Connecticut, however, when things do close up for weather (rare, but we will have the occasional ‘snow day’, usually in January through March), it is typically only for a day or even a few hours.
Still, we get tired of the frigid cold and ice on the ground. I love animals, but I would like to have a few words with that groundhog! At least six more weeks of winter…ugh.
I don’t know how the local wildlife feels about winter, but I know it must be hard on them. Our ‘resident’ fox was recently in our yard again. He walked one way, then ran the other, with something in his mouth.
He looked so happy to have found something to eat. (Rest assured, it was not one of my chickens. “Fowl Knox” has proved too hard for him to get into – I have seen his prints all around the coop).
The little opossum tracks I found near the house in the snow are the cutest! Finding tracks is one of my favorite things about winter.
We also spy deer, walking through the woods, looking for spots to bed down or for food. I feel sorry for them this time of the year.
On a brighter note, February brings Valentine’s Day! I’ve got my Valentine’s decor out. The red, white, and pink look so festive and bright against the winter light.
After being married over thirty years, my sweetheart and I still celebrate Valentine’s. Sometimes, we have a special meal at home, or pick up a heart-shaped pizza from a local pizzaria. This year, we were both so excited to give each other gifts, we celebrated early. He got me a cross body bag that I had been eyeing for awhile. I just can’t stand carrying large purses or bags anymore, and when it arrived from Amazon, he knew I could really use it, and couldn’t wait until the 14th to surprise me.
Our wee pup is our “baby”, so my gift to my husband was this cute little oil painting that looks like our dog, found for under $20 in a local antique/consignment shop.
Chocolate is always a good choice, of course. Our family loves chocolate! My favorite is Justin’s, an organic brand. I’ve noticed after going organic years ago, that I can really tell the difference how I feel when eating things that are not, especially with artifical colors.
I really love Justin’s dark chocolate, candy-covered peanuts. The colors of the shell are muted, because they aren’t made with nasty, unhealthy dyes but rather with vegetables. They are scrumptious! (My friend Judy and I also shared a Justin’s organic peanut butter cup on a recent outing. So delicious, too). It used to be that if you wanted organic chocolate, it cost an arm and a leg and only available in specialty shops. I am finding this competitively-priced brand in mainstream grocery stores.
I love a good book on a snowy, February day. My daughter and I are now “Book Buddies” – a “book club of two”. We love all kinds of genres – classics, biographies, history, fantasy, mystery, romance. Sometimes I want to read something “heavy”, other times I need a “lighter” book.
Favorite books become treasures! My daughter is the same way. Now that she’s an adult, we will read the same book, then discuss it over dinner or coffee out (it’s a bonus if there is a movie to go with the book)! An avid reader who can read a book in a day, Audrey has been “collecting” books since she was in high school.
Books can be expensive, especially when they are “current”. Our favorite source? Thrift Books! Thrift Books is an online source, selling new and used books in both hardcover and softcover. Their prices are the best and shipping is fast! With their points program, the more you buy, the more points you get to use for book purchases. Many of the books my daughter has bought us have been free or under a dollar, and we’ve found books that we can’t find anywhere else. Cut down on your clutter and get rid of books you no longer want or won’t read again (or dvd’s) with their “sell” feature, as well. You can do all of this through the website; they also have an app.
Speaking of books, have you seen the latest trend – painted edges! There are editions of books with “painted”, metallic, or patterned edges on the pages. It makes the books even prettier, especially on a shelf, and this trend is across all genres of books. Most times, painted edges are the same price as traditional editions.
Another favorite winter activity of mine is knitting. In addition to blogging here, I have been teaching knitting professionally for over 15 years. I’m always amazed at the knitters who do not know about Ravelry! Ravelry is an online source of all things fiber related. The site started in 2006 and is now international. It’s the BEST source for patterns and inspiration, and is an amazing community of yarn lovers worldwide!
With all the ice and snow that is on the ground right now, it’s hard to believe that we will ever thaw out and be able to be outdoors for more than a few minutes again. But it will happen. Having houseplants is a favorite thing to do, year round. Right now, I also have a pot of red daisies that I have overwintered indoors for at least four years now. The pot sits on my deck during the summer and early fall. I forgot to water it recently and it looked dead, the leaves shriveled and brown (the room it is in gets very dry with the forced heat). Hoping it might come back, I watered it, but made a mental note to empty the pot when things warmed up a bit. When I went to water the other plants in the room the following week, I looked down to see my forgotten plant.
It now has new leaves and has graced me with the biggest, reddest, BRIGHTEST bloom ever! It’s a good reminder that things will thaw out eventually!
For now, we will hunker down a few more weeks, knowing soon the seasons will change again.
Stay warm and cozy, Farmgirl Friends! Happy Valentine’s Day to all! Leave me a comment below to let me know you stopped by!
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