Having grown up primarily in New England, I remember snow falling around Thanksgiving. Our house was on the corner, and snow plows would shovel and pile the snow several feet high. When it was new and clean, it made for great forts for us kids to play in. I also remember having a winter wardrobe of ski masks, gloves, scarves, winter boots, and snowsuits. Living in the desert now, my outerwear winter wardrobe consists of cowboy boots and a cardigan sweater for the colder days. I may need a jacket for the earlier months in the year, but for the most part, winters are mild. I feel nostalgic around this time, especially when my friend from Pennsylvania starts sharing snow photos beginning in November. While I wish for a day or two of pretty snow falling, I am thankful for the 60-degree afternoon temps right now. We enjoy walking outside more because it’s the only time of the year the sun doesn’t beat down relentlessly! While it’s technically not winter until December 21, it’s been on my mind, seeing the news of snowstorms in various other places.
I have a few stray gifts to share from the past few weeks – including a few winter photos from PA. Descriptions of the photos are below the collage.
Top Row (left to right): I was washing the dishes one night and looked up to see the moon pictured just so in that top window. Where we live now, we can see the moon and stars very clearly outside. The constellation Orion stretches big as you please across the sky, and we enjoy the brisk night air. I don’t always go outside to look up, so noticing the moon in the window that night took me by surprise. The middle photo was sent to me by my mother’s cousin. She found my mom and dad’s wedding invitation in a scrapbook she had saved. I don’t remember ever seeing it since my mother died when I was really young, and I never had many items of hers. Jonathan is the keeper of family documents and photos and was thrilled to see it…and save it in his files. The last photo is of a corner in the house finally resolved. I read somewhere that if you move to a new space and you’re not sure where to put things, don’t rush to fill it and let the room rest. Live in it for a while and see how you move around, what you use, and if you need anything new at all. I had boxes of music books piled next to the piano, just waiting for a shelf of some sort. With the dimensions I had, there wasn’t much space. I had been thinking about and eyeing a rotating shelf on Amazon, and finally took a leap of faith that it would work out. I’m very happy with the way it looks, and it fits all my hymn and chorus books, plus a few of my all-time favorite books like our Jan Karon ones.
Middle Row: Here are three wintery photos shared from PA. The deer was quite close to the front of my friend’s house! The cardinal pictures every year are just stunning! And what’s not to love about a red barn and a pond on a snowy day?
Bottom Row: I made various types of Christmas cards this year using a few of my favorite techniques. The first card was made from a few 1×3-inch scraps! Add a poinsettia, and I have a pretty card fairly quickly. If you follow me on my crafty Instagram page, you may remember that I’m obsessed with a torn-paper card. I guess I love the rustic look of it (along with Kraft cardstock!). The last cards pictured were made using a postage stamp die and stamp set. I love the look of old stamps, and I enjoy making pretty paper look like them. I made a ton of other Christmas greetings as well, which over the next few weeks will be posted on Instagram.
Speaking of cards, I keep track of what I send out. I record to whom I send, for what occasion, and also when I receive a response. I counted 230 handmade cards, which didn’t include the last stragglers of Christmas cards that went out this week. I’m thankful to my dad, who supports this ministry. He provides stamps to mail the cards out, funds to send card packages to friends and family who will use the cards to encourage others, and also to purchase new supplies as I need. What a blessing!!