Too below

Dear Mom,

The outside temp this morning is 2 below. Too below normal, I say.




Last night before dinner, The Young Lady blew bubbles to see if they would freeze.





And then we came in to have one of her all time favorite dinners. Look familiar??

Love,

Kim

The Betty

Dear Mom,
If Wendy has too many more snow days, we may have to check her into Betty Ford.
Love,
Kim

Surviving Snow Days

Dear Mom,

Today is ANOTHER snow day. The girls made their valentine's day cards.

The teenager made chocolate chip cookies.

I made coffee liqueur. And drank it.

Coffee Liqueur

2 cups water

1 1/4 cups white sugar

2 Tbsp. freshly ground coffee

1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups vodka (let's face it; I used the entire bottle!)

Mix everything except vodka in a saucepan and heat to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely. Strain out the coffee grounds. Add vodka. Pour finished liqueur into a bottle and store in a cool place.

Love, Wendy

Maybe I should buy a lottery ticket...

Dear Mom,

February deserves a knitting project all its own, and yesterday I cast on for this: http://www.flintknits.com/patterns/ladysweater.pdf The February Lady Sweater. It is based on the February Baby Sweater, a design by the Immortal Knitting Genius, Elizabeth Zimmermann. I tell you, when I discovered Elizabeth Zimmermann, it changed my knitting life.

I am using yarn I found on the trip to Asheville, NC that My Hero and I took to celebrate our 25th Anniversary. It is Christopher Sheep Farms 2-ply and I bought it at EarthGuild. http://www.earthguild.com/


As I cast on and started knitting, the daydreams began. Seems I knit little stories into things as I knit them. Not all of the stories are even close to being real. Like the one where I am at the beach and my kids are playing together, nicely, just at the edge of the surf; we are all wearing handknits, sand is not sticking to anything, and I am not worried about the ocean breeze blowing my skirt against my legs because they are skinny.... But anyway, this particular sweater's story started with possibilities for buttons and what I might wear with this pretty cornflower color and lace design. I imagined a crisp white shirt with a stand up collar, and ruffles at the edge of the collar and down the fronts beside the button bands.
Today, after yet another 9th grade scheduling meeting, I took myself off to find some new jeans. Not only did I find TWO! pairs of jeans on sale that fit, are a size smaller, appear to be flattering (could be the magic dressing room mirrors, now that I think about it) and were on sale, but there!, there!! on the clearance rack!!!, an additional 60% off, and in my size!!!!!...... the white blouse I imagined.
Come to think of it, I probably shouldn't buy that lottery ticket. I might have used up all my good luck for the day.
Love,
Kim

Groundhog Indeed!

Dear Mom,

The *!@##!@@!*# groundhog may have been right but I am scoffing at that furry little dirty rodent! It may be snowing outside and we may be under another winter weather advisory, but today I am sending sunshine, warmth and good cheer through the mail. I am working on writing thank you and I-love-you-so-much! notes this morning, using sunflower notecards and my fountain pen! I think you should be checking your mailbox; I'll bet you'll find something there soon!!

Love, Wendy

The Groundhog was Right

Dear Mom,

The groundhog was right.

This is what it looks like out my front door right now.
I am trying to hang on to that hopeful attitude of yesterday. And yesterday, I got a lot done. After a trip with The Young Lady to the orthodontist, I spent most of the afternoon with Rowena Rowenta and a book in my ears.....

Rowena has a bit of a problem with incontinence. (She leaks.) I am trying to be patient with her- it could be me someday. Plus, like me she gets hot pretty quickly. I just wish I could adjust the heat as readily as Rowena can.

Mrs. Yoder, the Amish drying rack we found in Shipshewana, did an awesome job drying my sweaters over the weekend. Here she is, extended to her full height. (I had to stand on the bed to reach the top rack) Mrs. Yoder is one sturdy Amish gal. She is holding onto 7 wool sweaters and 13 pairs of socks with room to spare. All handknits and all dry the next day! I am loving Mrs. Yoder.

And last night I finished kntting these-

Dimorphouse Mittens from mimknits. com

AND I had only this much yarn left!


I covered the buttons and sewed them on this morning.

I guess it is a good thing the groundhog was right- we get a bit more time to enjoy our handknits. Tomorrow I will show you what I am going to knit for February.

Love,
Kim

Chicken Eggs and Golf Balls

Dear Mom,
Did you know that I use golf balls to show the girls the proper place to lay their eggs? The golf ball serves as a fake egg. The hen sees the "egg" already in the nest and she says to herself, "Ah-ha, this must be a safe place for my own egg!" Hens, by nature, like to lay their eggs in dark out-of-the way places. Our nest box is located at the back of the coop, with an access door from the outside. It is recommended to have one nest for every four hens. All four of my hens have always gone into the nest box to lay their eggs; they are such good girls!
Love, Bonnie Jo

Groundhog Day

Dear Mom,

Today is my favorite day of winter. It is a hopeful day. Groundhog day means the end of winter is in sight! Think SPRING!

Love,

Kim

Morning Brew

Dear Mom,

Three children back to school blended with the promise of a clean and quiet house again make a delightful morning cup of coffee!

Love, Wendy

Superbowl XLIII

Dear Mom,

It's Superbowl XLIII so:
Go Colts!!

Dear Peyton Manning,

I hope you hit a home run during one of the periods of gameplay!! I hope none of your teammates has to go to the penalty box for travelling and I hope that the other team has several double faults and more!!
Love,
Your biggest fan!!!
Okay, okay, having a little superbowl fun. Superbowls are best for the commercials and for Buffalo Chicken Ranch Dip!

Buffalo Chicken Ranch Dip

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

large canned chicken mixed with 5 oz. hot wing sauce

Ranch dressing

1 cup shredded cheddar-jack cheese

Layer a greased pie plate as follows: softened cream cheese, hot sauce drizzled over cream cheese, chicken/hot wing sauce mixture, Ranch dressing drizzled over chicken mixture, shredded cheddar-jack cheese. Bake @ 350 degrees for 30 (or so) minutes or until cheese is bubbly. Serve with blue corn chips or tortilla chips. Enjoy!

Hope your team wins!! Our house is divided. I think the teenager is rooting for the Steelers just because the rest of us are rooting for the Cardinals!! No matter, enjoy the food!!

Love, Wendy

A Good Day

Dear Mom,

Good Day, Sunshine!!!

The diva stayed up all night slumber partying with a friend. We woke them up bright and early. They did have the common courtesy to smile nicely and look awake . . .

Just not very well rested.

We fixed blueberry pancakes for breakfast. Then I got to go to work and knit and talk knitting with adults all day. After 4 snowed in days with the children, it's a Good Day, Sunshine!!

Love, Wendy

My Hero

Dear Mom,
Outside temp, 20 degrees. Hot tub temp, 103 degrees.

Snow boots and a beach towel? No problem.

He's mine.

Love,

Kim

Birds

Dear Mom,

This winter, I made the difficult choice not to feed the birds with the usual black oil sunflower seed and bulk wild bird seed mix. I have had too many problems with mice in the garage (which is now under control), and an overpopulation of squirrels coming into the yard. Instead, I put out suet cakes, and I have attracted several birds. I took an assortment of pictures from inside, looking out.

Red Bellied Woodpecker

Downy Woodpecker

Nuthatch
Pipsqueak's favorite (a cardinal)
and...WHAT'S THIS?!!!

This squirrel "hung around" for quite a while. The birds didn't mind, and I didn't either!

Love, Bonnie Jo

Studio Time

Dear Mom,


Awake, thou wintry earth -
Fling off thy sadness!
Fair vernal flowers, laugh forth
Your ancient gladness!
~Thomas Blackburn, "An Easter Hymn"




I spent time in the studio today looking foward to Spring and Easter portraits.

Even Keeper gave her best effort to get into the spirit of things!!

Love, Wendy

A Reason to Knit (as if I needed one)

Dear Mom,

Yesterday, My Young Man informed me that he is saving his money.

To buy a car.

I am trying to forget about the time when he was 9 and told me he would make a good stunt driver.

I'll just knit on this for awhile.

Love,

Kim

Favorite Things

Dear Mom,

This is the third day that the kids are home due to being snowed in. We are all feeling a bit restless, including Keeper who just made her mad run through the house. The kids find this hilariously funny because Keeper will leap tall couches in a single bound, run figure 8s around all of us and dare us to try to catch her!!!! I am just surrounding myself with a few of my favorite things.

Fudgenuts from Sweet Sinsations in Mason, OH

Favorite books to get lost in, to dream in, to live and love in . . . .

Love, Wendy

A Long Walk

Dear Mom,
School was on a 2 hour delay this morning. I love 2 hour delays. And dioramas, but that is a story for another day.....
After the kids left, My Fit Neighbor and I took a 5 mile walk through the neighborhood and onto the Monon trail. The Monon hasn't been plowed, so about a mile of our walk was in deep, deep snow. Did I say deep? It. was. Deep. Walking in Deep Snow is hard work and I was WORN OUT. When we got back on the plowed road my legs felt like they weren't moving at all, kind of like how it feels when you pick something up expecting it to be heavy and it's not and you lift your arms up higher than you meant to.

Well, I huffed and puffed and My Fit Neighbor wasn't breathing heavy at all. I also might have blisters on my heels because I overcompensated and wore 2 pairs of my handknit wool socks in my boots. And in some places the snow was deep enough (did I tell you it was deep?) that I had to lift my legs up high to get through it and realized that this is what Bumper Joseph feels like every time he has to go out!

And even after all that my legs will not be skinny.

If I am not crippled by my walk, the house is getting some much needed TLC today after the weekend in Shipshewana and the snow day yesterday. I'll be spending some quality time with the vacuum cleaner, Mr. Swiffer and The Bosch's ( Walter Washer and Dottie Dryer, bless them).
Keep warm.
Love,
Kim

Marge's First Egg!

Dear Mom,

Today was a special day for Marge! She laid her first egg. Gloria sat next to her patiently in the nest box while she sat...and sat...and sat. Bless her sweet little heart!

Love, Bonnie Jo

Winter Wonderland

Dear Mom,

We had 1.5" of ice overnight and another 5 inches of snow this morning. We are under a Level 3 snow emergency which means we aren't allowed to go anywhere unless absolutely necessary. Of course, David went to work. He got there without any problems, almost in record time; probably because he was the only person driving this morning!


There was much sleeping in (me!), staying in our pjs much longer than should be allowed (me!), sledding (the kids!), snowboarding (the kids!) and shoveling (me.). The Game Cube has been pulled out and the girls made Baked Snowflakes.

Keeper and I snuggled, I burned the frozen pizza for the kids because I was trading emails with you, Aunt Chris, Aunt Karen, Bonnie and Kim but I did manage to feed everyone an unburned lunch, finish an arm on my neck-down sweater, handwash our breakfast dishes and throw snowpants and coats in the dryer.

Hope you enjoy your snowed in day, too. Don't do too much vacuuming and ironing!

Love, Wendy

Snowed In

Dear Mom,

It is a snow day. I woke up , watched the school listings crawl by on the tv and then went back to bed. When I did get up for real, it was the kind of morning the required spending lots of time in my favorite robe- you know, the old green velour number that zips up the front? That's the one! We had 9 inches of snow last night. I know because I measured the snow on the patio this morning when I went out to fill up the bird feeders.

My Hero took the doglsed (aka "Stealth", the Honda Civic Hybrid) in to work this morning after shoveling himself out of the driveway. Don't worry, he arrived safely.

The Little Lady has had a great time playing with the neighbors in the hills left behind by the snowplow,
and My Young Man is out
shoveling with a Buddy.
I think Buddy is talking more
than shoveling (note position of snow shovel on Buddy's shoulder), but they are happy.
And outside.

For me, the best way to spend a day like this is inside with hot tea and knitting.
I'll bake some cinnamon streusel muffins and make hot chocolate.

But mostly I will be drying coats, hats, mittens and snow pants in the dryer, wiping up the snow puddles on the kitchen floor and balancing boots upside down on all the heating vents.....


And to give us a hopeful glimpse
of spring-like beauty, here is a
picture of the flowers My Hero
brought me yesterday.
Tulips and yellow roses.

I think the sun is starting to come out.

Only 5 days til Groundhog day.

Love,
Kim