I don't know about you, but....

...I need a floral fix today.

I look out into my sad little muddy garden and wonder how the heck I can get these

out of all that snow and mud.

We did have about three foot of snow on it three weeks ago, but 

now with all the wind and warmer temperatures in the past several days, 

some of the beds are almost clear with patches of snow that's about six inches

deep and the beds along the driveway are just mud. 

I decided to look into my files and find some of the photos of last years florals that
I hadn't posted yet and found some that you might enjoy.

I have really enjoyed this winter and can you believe it (???),
I'm just not ready to let go of it yet.
A few short years ago you would have never heard anything like
that come out of my mouth!
It's funny how when you set your mind to change something about yourself,
you can make it happen if you try long and hard enough.

One of those things was how I grumbled about winter from the middle of November
until the middle of March, which is how long winter usually lasts
in my part of Idaho.

 I think my dislike of the winters here
( I came as a teen from Boise where the winters are milder)
came from when I had small children (lot's of them :)
and we were dairy farmers. We lived down a long lane that would often
get blown in and so I would have to bundle the kids up to walk to the
 (usually carrying the two smallest)

  car which we had to leave at the end of the lane so we could get to town 

and the children to school. 

But I don't live down a long lane anymore and I don't have small children, 

so I don't have a valid excuse for grumbling about it anymore.

I finally told myself that I was going to change this and make friends
with ol' man winter. I needed an attitude adjustment and would remind
myself daily for awhile, that I really did want to
change how I felt about it.

Guess what? It worked!

I can actually say that I looked forward to the past three winters
and really have enjoyed them.

Thank goodness the roads have been pretty good this winter

so I could get out of town and get some shopping done in Twin Falls. 

I usually go about five times a month and my husband calls 

them my 'sanity days'.

 

Well, I don't know how sane I am, 

but I go by myself and the hour drive through cattle grazing and farmland relaxes me.

Very unlike living in the city  where the drive would make me crazy.

I'm treating myself to a shopping day tomorrow because most of the painting is done 

and I really, really need a day out of the house.

For those who have asked, I did go with white again, 

(the same white I had before that has just a hint of grey to it) 

 Everything looks so fresh.

So now, because I grumbled about the painting I had to do, I am going to try

to make friends with painting, much like I did with winter. 

Now that's a laugh!

 Not going to happen!!

Wishing everyone who reads here a wonderful week!

Happy Valentines Day!

One of my favorite sewing projects is making
lavender-filled hearts.
February is the perfect month to do it too.

(but then, I think anytime is the perfect time to sew)

When I was a little girl, making homemade Valentines was my
favorite thing about the day.

Nothing's changed...I still love it.



Wishing all of my lovely friends a Happy Valentine's Day!

A little Valentine tree----and, I won Jane's giveaway!

I wanted to share a little Valentine tree I decorated for the month of February.

I had saved one of the smaller trees (taller than me) that I had decorated for Christmas,
knowing that it would be perfect to hang some of the leftover hearts I had been
making heart garlands for a couple of my granddaughter's rooms.

.

I tied some of my dried roses together and then hung a little Maileg cone that my 

friend Sarah had given me and filled it with a few of buds

I want you to know that I have strategically placed the tree where my husband 

has to walk around it.

I wonder if it's a big enough hint?

He knows I'm easily pleased with chocolate :)

Yes, I'm still painting...it seems like I will never finish, but the little 

tree has been a bright spot.

Quite awhile ago, in fact, before Christmas, I won a wonderful giveaway by Jane from 

Blondie's Journal! I wanted to share it sooner, but had to find the photos I had taken of 

her lovely presentation of it. The book, The Inspired Room by Melissa Michaels 

was beautifully wrapped in Christmas paper and Jane had added some of the seeds she 

had gathered from her own gardens for me to plant in mine. I'm so thankful

for this thoughtful gift. Now I will have something to remind me of Jane growing

right her in Idaho! Jane and I have been blogging friends for years and I can't imagine 

anyone not familiar with her blog, but if you're not, you should go see the

Birthday Party for her darling little granddaughter Elsie!

I have a little Valentine vignette I hope to share in my next post, so see you soon!