Big Snow Melt This Week

Just a few days ago. Notice the snow on the bench.

Today is the first time I have seen the top of the bench on my balcony all year long! We are having a nice slow snow melt that is so very welcome. Even the animals are excited to go outside without slipping and sliding.

A Sign to Promote Kindness

Kindness is good for both the giver and the recipient. via

Welcoming Porch Light

There's nothing more welcoming than a porch light, is there? Everything in this photo looks brand new and very nice. via

A Proper Irish Stew + Recipe

The New York Times has a recipe for A Proper Irish Stew For St. Patrick's Day and you have 9 days to round up all the ingredients by March 17th. 

Samuel F. B. Morse, Painter

It would probably surprise Samuel F. B. Morse, and not pleasantly, that future generations know him for his invention of Morse code and his services to telegraphy, rather than for his paintings, produced over six decades, that were the serious business of his life. The size of the painting below blows me away .... it measures 6 feet x 9 feet. I can't even begin to count the paintings within this masterpiece that took him two years to complete.

Samuel F. B. Morse (1791–1872), Gallery of the Louvre (1831–33), oil on canvas, 73-1/2" x 108". Terra Foundation for American Art, Chicago. Read more ... article in The Magazine Antiques ... Morse at The Huntington Library.

Downton Abbey Season 5. Watch Online until March 15th.

As we all know, Downton Abbey is over (sob) but the entire Season 5 is still available to watch online for one more week. Hurry, it will go away March 15th. Watch the full season HERE.
Don't try clicking on the pictures below. Enjoy!
Here is another link with the episodes in proper order with a little recap.

Season 5, Episode 9

Season 5, Episode 8

Season 5, Episode 7

Season 5, Episode 6

Season 5, Episode 5

Season 5, Episode 4

Season 5, Episode 3

Season 5, Episode 2

Season 5, Episode 1

Those Lovely Owl Eyes

I have a fascination with owls and I love the yellowish orange eyes on this one. Have a great weekend. via

Beautiful Moonrise

My favorite time of day in any season. This winter moonrise is especially lovely in England, no doubt. I must remember to look outside tonight, as I always do, because there is a Waning Gibbous which is one day removed from a full moon. I get the moonrise from the window over my kitchen sink so I rarely miss a good one. Sundown tonight is a little more than an hour away. via

A Dog's Best Friend this Winter

Isn't this the cutest thing ever for a dog that's not too heavy to lift? Love it! via
I'm happy to report that I made it through yesterday's snow just fine and today bright sun is shining on my cottage and my windshield. There is nothing but sun in the forecast for 6 straight days and that makes me very happy. The worst of winter is finally over. xo

I feel like the Minion on the right.

I can't take it any more. Yesterday my gutters were melting and I shoveled slush for hours and everything was looking good. Now it's snowing again and we might get 8" or more before it stops, if it ever does. My phone app shows it will still be coming down at 9pm and I can't check beyond that. via Be safe and stay warm, This is a big winter storm and I know I'm not alone. xo

Indoor Hopscotch

I spent countless hours playing hopscotch when I was young and would have loved this handpainted version in a narrow hallway. This might be shuffle board but it would work for hopscotch too with bean bags instead of rocks. via

This is the pattern I remember:

A Peek into an Edward Gorey Pop Up Book

I could watch this all day. Don't you love it? Edward Gorey's "The Tunnel Calamity" at Cal Poly's Kennedy Library. via

I'm Missing Downton Abbey Already.

Sunday nights are so special with Downton Abbey. Season 5 is over and I miss the PBS series already.

via

I think Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes are perfect together, don't you?

Maggie Smith: The 80-year-old actress anticipates an end to her Dowager Countess role. Read the article in Vanity Fair here. She says she can't go anywhere now without someone wanting to take a selfie with her. 

Screen Doors with Privacy

I drive by an old house with doors like this in the summer. It's close to the road and you can't tell whether or not the front door is open or closed. That's a nice feature for maintaining privacy when you want some fresh air. These doors are especially nice if you have hot sun beating down on your house and no shade. It's snowing again at my house and my weather app says it will continue until midnight and then it will turn to rain. Doesn't that sound dreadful?????? Stay warm and be safe. I'll be in bed with the covers over my head. xo

Sunrise with Sheep

This single photo contains almost all of my favorite things. Have a great day! xo via

Yes to This Laundry Room

It's simple and I like it, especially the sink. via

Library Doubles as Dining Room

It would be hard to eat without reading something in this wonderful library full of antiquarian books, wouldn't it? via

The Promise of March

Spring Teaser via

This glimpse of spring doesn't seem possible as I gaze into the frozen abyss outside my window. We'll just have to hang on until Mother Nature decides it's time for a spring thaw. Enjoy your Sunday. xo

My Wish for You Tomorrow Morning

Wouldn't this be a nice way to welcome March? via

Wow. An Overwhelming Task.

So far, so good. via

Kitchen Fireplace

I'm loving the raised hearth fireplace in this lovely kitchen. Home is where the hearth is, right? I see comfy furniture too so I'm sure it's a room you'd never want to leave. via

Have a great weekend!

A Porch with A House in the Middle

Better known as a wrap-around porch. Love. via

Life with Dogs

Agreed ! ! !   via

Unique Bathroom Vanity

I really like this setup. I'd much rather look out the window than look in the mirror, wouldn't you? I know you're not supposed to have water pipes on an outside wall so this wouldn't work for me, especially in the deep freeze we are having. Anyway, I like this a lot, except for the bare bulbs. via

Bill Murray - Portrait

I have no idea what this is all about, but it caught my eye this morning. via Just found out it's by a firm called Replaceface. Link will take you there. Fun!

Vintage Cape Cod House Photos

18th century cape cod houses …all photographed in the 1930s

So sweet. From simpler times. via

What a Nice Place to Work

This Vermont Farmhouse is the home of the editors of Cook's Illustrated Magazine and the Public TV Cooking Show "From America’s Test Kitchen". I can't imagine a nicer place to work, can you? I'm sure it's pretty in the snow too.

Lovely English Robin

I love these British birds with the inverted hearts on their breasts. via