Snow Quilt

I finally finished my snow man quilt and just in time for the snow to fly.  I made the quilt top in 2011 but didn't get it quilted until just now.  The snow people are hand embroidered...my favorite thing to do.  I'm slowly but surely catching up on getting my quilts done.  More to be posted soon.

Downed Trees!

The snow sure was pretty and fun to play in but we also had a lot of damage in downed trees and huge broken limbs.  The one that fell in the back yard, bent our big bird feeder and the hanger it was on.  A tree fell on the other side of the grill house and broke the metal bird bath.  It also bent one of the Bradford Pear trees to the ground.  Then, half of a pine tree fell on the fence in the corner of the front yard and knocked it down.  There was a tree down at the end of the drive way and a couple of ceder trees split down by the garden.  Yesterday was a beautiful day ....sunny and warm.  It was a good " clean up day".  Chuck dug out the chain saw and I grabbed my little hand cart.  By the end of the afternoon we had the yard pretty much cleaned up and the fence back up.  It was the kind of day where you thought Spring was actually here and your mind raced with all the things you wanted to do.  ....but I know better.  Even though it's going to get up to the middle 70's this week, that does not mean Spring is here.  Soon though....soon!!

Happy Valentine's Day!

I love decorating the kitchen for the holidays!  When you think about it, there are only two months out of the year that I don't decorate for.  May and June.  I'm usually so busy taking care of the garden those two months that I don't even think about decorating.  It would be nice to go out to dinner tonight with the other 4,000 people here in Moulton but since we got the snow and it's melting, the roads will be freezing tonight with the last of our really cold temps for a few days, I think we should just stay home.  It's been a crazy winter for sure.  The weather people keep telling us that by the end of this coming week, we could have temps in the low 70's.  Spring maybe?  I doubt it, but it sure will be nice for a few days.  I hope everyone I know has a fun and happy Valentine's Day!

Afternoon Fun.

In Memory of Oscar and Marmalade kitties. 

This morning when we were walking around in the snow to see all the beauty,  I tried to make a snow ball to roll to make a snow kitty.  Well, the snow was way to powdery and it wouldn't hold together.  I thought I would have to wait until the next snow to have the " building fun".  The sun came out and everything began melting.  After lunch, I went back outside and tried again since it was wetter.  It worked!!  We now have two snow " people" in the front yard.  I know they won't last for long, but it's fun looking out the windows and seeing someone out there.

Thank You Mother Nature!!!

Brambly Pines is alive with snow falling!

The front path to the garden

Our winter garden 

looking up at the lights over the deck

Got my sled out 

Mother Nature filled the weed bucket!

Along the front of the land by the road.  

My Mama taught me how important " thank yous" are so ..."Thank You Mother Nature" for making Brambly Pines a winter wonderland.  I don't think there is anything any more beautiful than snow.  It started coming down fast, late yesterday afternoon in huge flakes.  I don't think I've ever seen it come down like that before. I felt like we were in a snow globe.  We kept going from window to window of the house watching it until it got to dark to see outside.  Then, we would turn the outside lights on to watch it.  I couldn't wait to get out of bed this morning to see how much was out there.  The trees were covered along with everything else.  When we measured, we had gotten a little over 5 1/2 inches.   How lucky we are to live where this happens every once in awhile.  You have to enjoy it fast because the next day it's all gone.  It has already started to disappear out of the trees.  Spring can come now.  I've had my winter that I wished for.  If Mother Nature wants to repeat herself again, I wouldn't be disappointed though.  Next winter is a long time off to have to wait for the chance of it happening again.  Mean time, I have three more seasons to enjoy.

Another Dusting

Woke up to another " dusting" the other day.....sigh!  They ( the weather people) are saying we have a chance of " snow" again this coming week.  Then again, they say it " could" go around us and head to Birmingham AGAIN!!  I'm beginning to think we moved to far " north".  Will keep my fingers crossed and my hopes high.  I think Mother Nature likes teasing me.

Christmas CACTUS!!!

Three years ago, I bought three small Christmas cactus plants and planted them together in one pot.  I did the same thing the next year.  This last year, I only bought one.  All three kinds were different colors.  Well, I got tired of having all these pots of cactus sitting around in the sun room during the winter, so I bought a HUGE pot and planted them all together.  Now I have one BIG FAT cactus!!!  It's going to be very impressive come Thanksgiving/Christmas this coming year and it's all blooming, different colors.  I think it's even impressive now, with out it blooming.  Come Spring, it will have a home on one of the porches for awhile.  They say, it being outside for awhile is what makes it bloom come the end of the year.  Not sure, but mine always blooms.

Tradition Carried On!

Nellie Stanfield (front, next to Lee Stanfield)...my Great Grandmother on my Mother's side of the family.  She died a week after I was born in July 1950.  My Grandmother is the one on the far right of the picture. 

Postage Stamp quilt pattern made with scraps of 1930's fabrics.

All hand stitched.  

Michelle's first quilt top. 

One of my quilts, next to Great Grandma Stanfield's.  

I got a surprise text from Michelle about a month ago, asking if she could come home for the weekend for a " quilting lesson".  It made my heart smile!  In all the years that Michelle has been sewing, she didn't show an interest in quilting.  It made me so happy that she wants to carry on the family tradition now.  My great grandmother quilted, along with my Mom. ( I have a quilt that my great grandmother made all by hand, hanging in my hallway)  I thought it was going to stop with me.  It was really easy to teach Michelle because all I had to do was give her a couple little tips when it comes to piecing a quilt top.  She had a non stop sewing marathon that weekend.  She finished her quilt top in 1 1/2 days!!!  She is hooked!!!  She already has picked out another quilt to make.  I wish she was going to come home for the weekend every time she makes a quilt now but there is no need.  She knows what she is doing or can figure it out without me.  I will treasure this "first quilt weekend" forever.  One of those memories that gets put down in my journal and blog. Now I can go to Quilt Guild and tell everyone that the tradition will be carried on.  It will make the Ladies happy.

Winter Weather

We sure have gotten a lot of use out of the fireplace this winter.

With all of this crazy winter weather this year all we have gotten out of it has been super duper cold temperatures.  The coldest that I have ever been in my whole life.  I'm talking about 6 degrees at night and only 18 degrees as the high for the day.  With all of the snow that everyone has gotten, it's been all around us.  Even to the south of us.  All of the snow and ice that shut down Birmingham and Atlanta didn't even touch us.  The most snow we can brag about is a " dusting" and that lasted about 30 minutes.  There was a rumor going around (by the weather people) that we had a slight chance of getting 12 inches of snow this weekend.  I know! Wouldn't that have been fun!!!!  It's not going to happen though.  It's back to a chance of a slight dusting.  Come on Mother Nature......give me some beautiful, cold snow for me to write about!!!  Dustings are boring!!!