Yesterday it snowed. Snow? After weeks of mild spring-like weather, I'd almost forgotten it was still winter. It didn't last long but it was odd to see spring flowers poking up through an icy blanket. Flowers in winter, an amazing gift. I've been needing those gifts recently with a painful back that has confined me to barracks. However, one of the reasons I started to blog, was to step aside from the grotty bits of life, which so easily become the focus of living. I wanted to put down some markers and remember the small but good things, that make living a joy.

I was woken from a deep, hard-earned sleep this morning by a chatty, horribly awake son - he's a lark and I'm just grumpy at..."What time is it J?" "Oh, ten to seven Mum!". Ten to seven...inwardly I'm complaining while he tells me all about a cartoon he loves. "Mmm" is about as much as I can muster in response. Then in the darkness he slips something on my wrist. A present. It's only when I'm fully awake do I see what he's made, refashioned from a Christmas decoration he made with his Dad. Another amazing gift.

And thank you for chickens! I loved  this  article from the Spring edition of Rhythm of the Home, and yes, chickens are better than telly! Endlessly entertaining, straight out of the Minstry of Silly Walks. They are companionable and sociable, following me whenever I go outside. They have just started laying - although often secretly in a hedge or under a bush, so the daily egg hunt is good physio for me. And the eggs! Tiny little bantam eggs. Another reason to be cheerful.

 

I'm not feeling up to much cooking, but some super speedy baking? Well maybe..Thanks to vlijtig I found this recipe for Sticky Cinnamon Scrolls. Much like scones, they came together very quickly. We could eat these for dinner, right? I'm thankful for a tolerant family!

Bon Année! Happy New Year!

Happily for me, the French don't send Christmas cards, but instead send greetings for a 'Bon Année', so this naturally falls into my husband's department, at some vague point in the New Year. Here is his drawing (right click on it to see it larger) for this year's card - very apt, as we have spent the Hogmanay celebrations totally and contentedly snowed in. In fact, it snowed non-stop for all of New Year's Eve, and we have over half a metre of white lovelieness everywhere. Heaven sent? Well, it depends on your persepctive, but we love it. We have plenty of firewood, food, bread just baked, a few odds and ends of festive bottles to finish, and nowhere pressing to go. Might as well cosy up and enjoy it. Knitting a little, watching a bit, munching now and then...it's a good start to the year!

Happy New Year to you!

Preparing

Somewhere in the fantasy department of my mind I had thought I might manage to post every day during Advent...ahem, things seem to have gone a little astray and the reality has been the usual whirlwind of creative activities, baking, decorating and trying to keep up with an exploding calendar - whilst all the time telling myself to try to simplify, let go and move away from all that has little to do with my personal vision of Christmas! Phew! But our family have arrived, most of the essentials are done(ish), the snow has fallen deeply and beautifully and we are starting to feel that Christmas is really on its way...aided by a nice wee glass of port...

Mince pies have been made in vast quantities, with plenty of small helping hands...

A few little gnomes have been sent off on their voyages...

The house looks and smells Christmassy, with many more homemade decorations, from big and small hands, added this year...

Did you know Santa speaks Gaelic? And travels on a steam train? How perfect is that?

We have heard the Christmas story retold, in a sweet and creative number of ways, with my boys being a thoughtful and serious Joseph, and a somewhat wayward but terribly cute sheep.

The run up to Christmas is a terrible time to decide to make a quilt, but sometimes the beautiful ideas that inspire me on other people's blogs - I'll share in the New Year, as I'm starting to wilt at this late hour - just have to be followed up, even when a trillion other things are calling. The result has made me very happy, so I'm glad I went for it. I want to make a really big one now!

And snow! Gorgeous, deep, dramatic snow, that has caused the schools to shut (oh blessed relief!) and has created all kinds of chaos, but is such a wonderful gift, imposing a certain stillness on us all, just as we needed it.

May you have a warm, joyful and peaceful Christmas! With much love from Featherglen!

The More it Snows, Tiddley Pom

The ruler has been back out on the picnic table, the car has been dug out several times, the snowplough keeps passing, the sun comes out, goes in and then it snows - again. Heaps of it, piles of it, masses of the stuff, like giant soufflés everywhere.


We have food, we have wood and the house is made cosy by its' big duvet. We can sit this out if need be. The roads are clear enough (when we can get to them), but it is just a tiny bit worrisome driving under trees that are sagging and breaking with the weight of the white stuff.


Oh, but who cares, it's so unexpected and so wonderful. More please!

And after all, it does give Monsieur Featherglen a chance to dust down his igloo building skills.

We even had our 2nd picnic of the year; hot tea, oatcakes, apples and chocolate, sitting around the construction sight, on comfy mounds of snow, in glorious sunshine - this kind of thing doesn't happen round here too often!

Thank you.

Almost a Foot

Well! When was the last time you woke to a foot (almost) of snow? Especially if you live on this side of the English Channel/North Sea/Atlantic etc. It almost never happens. I think I was 13 the last time, which obviously wasn't that long ago, really. Anyway, no apologies for loads of photos, we can't get enough of this much snow...

There was no chance of getting to school or work (oh shame!), so we had the sledges loaded up and out we went...

Thank you Peter for the skis - isn't this typical, you go back to Slovakia, land of mountains and snow, and Scotland gets it's best snowfall in 20 years? We also discovered the local winter snow sport (as invented by our neighbours), a sort of Poor Man's Snowboarding - standing while sledging.... I'd like to say that it was fun at the time, but it does hurt quite a lot now!

Remember my stile from last week?

If this is a bad winter, we'll have lots more of it please.