Ball Fringe Curtains and Snow

I can remember making kitchen curtains trimmed with ball fringe long ago. There was a house for sale near me last year that had crisp white ones like these in every window and they were so beautiful inside and especially from the street view. I still think they are charming, don't you? Will you stay up tonight to ring in the New Year? I will try but I'm usually not successful. Photo found here. Here is the link to order ready-made white ball fringe curtains from the Vermont Country Store. Thanks, Pam for mentioning this source in the comments.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Christmas Cottage in the Snow

The perfect little cottage with a red door and a wreath in the snow. Photo found on Tumblr.

Cast Iron Chicken in Snow

A view from my pantry window this 20° Friday morning showing the long shadows of my cast iron chicken. It has been too cold for the melting of snow but some of it has evaporated and is leaning where the sun hits. I have finally learned, after owning my cottage since 2001, how to deal with the snow. Now I just take care of the accumulation in the wide entrance opposite my front door and let the other side of my semi-circular driveway melt on its own. 

"We are too soon old, and too late smart."

Today is International Women's Day. This link could keep me busy all day.

Big Snow Last Night

I took this photo around 10:30 this morning before starting my 3-hour shoveling marathon. The snow was much lovelier earlier with every tree branch covered. No more snow is in the forecast for at least another week, thankfully. Cold all week but 50° on Sunday. 

I still jumped rope 100 times, did my 25 sit ups and some stretching after I took a break and watched the climbing movie. See you tomorrow. xo

Saturday Morning Snowfall: My Cottage

I have yet to open my front door since the snow stopped a short while after I got up. This photo is the view from my bedroom window looking toward the well-plowed road. I am so happy I live on a County road that is plowed frequently!!! The melting has already begun but I'm going to wait until after lunch to start shoveling when it's even warmer. I think I got 4 or 5 inches. Not too bad. See you later. xo

Snow Melt Day

As you can see from the icicles on my balcony railing and the sheen on the tabletops, the sun is trying to burn through the clouds and the melting has already begun. By eleven o'clock this morning, the thermometer will be reading numbers in the 40° section. I always like for the sun to do the hard part before I go outside and deal with the small amount of snow on my front walk and front windshield. I did the hard part yesterday. Once again, I am happy to report another not-too-bad snowfall. I am so thankful too! I put this photo on my Instagram feed today. Enjoy your Thursday. xo

Walking on Slippery Ice

I have blue skies and bright sun this morning but it's still below the freezing mark. I MUST go out and hack up my icy patches with a pick axe so they will hopefully melt later today. More snow is on the way overnight turning to rain Monday morning with temps in the 40s and that will be good. Hopefully all will melt before nightfall since it's going down to 18° and there will be more ice. Take care if you aren't as sure-footed as these penguins.
I thoroughly enjoyed the three-episode mini series on Penguins called SPY IN THE HUDDLE. I can't remember whether it was on NatGeo or BBC America. It's on Netflix now, so if you are a penguin fan, look for it and watch it. It is a fascinating series with an up-close look as spy cam decoys are set up in the penguin colonies. BBC photo above.

Lennart Helje Art w/ Elf, Cat, Bird

Lennart Helje is a painter and illustrator who born in 1940 in Lima, Sweden. He paints gnomes wearing red hats and animals in snowy landscapes. He has also illustrated books, stamps, and postal Christmas seals, with Nordic, nature, and plant motifs. The photo above was found on Google Images. Isn't his artwork delightful? I also found an article about him on a blog with a slideshow of some of his wonderful paintings. Read more here. You're welcome. xo

American Robin in the Snow

I saw some winter Bluebirds flying around on a bitter cold and windy day last week. Guess this robin is doing some winter house hunting. via

Snowy Friday: A Dusting at My Cottage

I woke up to a dusting of snow and it has already stopped. So happy. A dusting is my favorite. No shovel required. I can just sweep my front walk. xo

Snow Art

Snow Angel in Empty Swimming Pool

Punk Snowman with Mohawk Haircut via

Beautiful Snow Scene

This unspoiled snow scene lis lovely but I am happy that it isn't my cottage. Once again, my area was spared the snow that is blanketing Virginia and points south. Is the weather shifting? I think it is. I got just a dusting on Sunday morning that melted when the clouds parted and the sun came up. More snow is predicted for this weekend. Fingers crossed. via

Bird Camouflage

Alaskan state bird Willow Ptarmigan (Lagopus lagopus) blending in with winter landscape. Photo: Anthony Madden. via Isn't this photograph spectacular? Mother Nature never ceases to amaze me!

Have a great New Year's Eve. I am watching BBC World News America and it is already midnight in Japan where they celebrate the new year with oranges. I like that!

Kindness is Like Snow

"Kindness is like snow.

It beautifies everything it covers."

Khalil Gibran

via

Snow Dog

What a great idea. You could do this with a little human standing behind an appropriately sized snow body too. via

English Robin on A Snowy Holly Branch

This beautiful photograph is a living Christmas Card. Agreed? via I love the English robins with the upside down hearts on their breasts.

Tree in Winter

This tree is lovely in the winter landscape. I love the shape of it and the fence fascinates me. It appears to be a "forever" fence with sturdy wooden posts and rails made of connected metal pipes. via

Mountain Village at Night

This snow-covered mountain village at night is absolutely gorgeous, isn't it? via

Snow Bunny

A Nor'easter is coming tomorrow around lunch time with snow and sleet and then rain on Friday. I am not at all excited, but seeing a cute snow bunny like this would soften the blow. via

Broadway Tower Folly: Cotswolds UK

Broadway Tower

Broadway Tower lies prominently on top of a hill close to, and overlooking, the village of Broadway in Worcestershire. It was built for the 6th Earl of Coventry as a folly on his Springhill Estate, and was completed in 1799. The Tower is in the shape of a castle. It is 65 feet tall and its top (at 1089 feet above sea level) is said to be the highest point in the Cotswolds.

As with so many follies or curiosities, more than one reason has been given for its creation. The most likely is that it was used long ago as a signaling beacon since it was visible both from Springhill and also from Croome Court, another family estate some 20 miles away near Worcester.

In later years Broadway Tower was used as a holiday home. One occupant was William Morris, relatively well known (amongst other achievements) for designing fashionable wallpaper - some of which can be seen inside the Tower today.

Broadway was the first town in the Cotswolds I visited back in the early 1970s. The Broadway Tower was closed and I did not get to go inside. Now I want to go back and see the wallpaper!!!

Photo by Richard on Flickr found here