It's nearly February...

It's that time of year again...when Old Man Winter throws his worst at us and tries to make us believe that Spring will never, ever come.
In true fashion the weather service is predicting that we will get at least 18 inches of snow, with wind at 35 mph. Say it with me boys and girls: BLIZZARD WATCH.

So tomorrow, I will trek to the grocers while the kids are in school & pick up extra foodstuffs and extra art supplies. If they call off school (unlikely) then I will have 2 extra sets of hands to help with holiday decorating. While the rest of the neighborhood is festooning their house with pink and red in anticipation of Valentine's Day, we will be decorating with chocolate browns, pale greens and yellows. We are preparing to celebrate Imbolc!

Imbolc is the half-way point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. We celebrate the lengthening days, the seeds beginning their slow unfolding, the return of the migratory birds. We celebrate the end of the long darkness of Winter, and welcome the slow return of Spring.

This holiday I like to share with the kids the secret of the earth under Winter's thick blanket of white--we eat foods with surprises inside: pigs in blankets, small fruit pies, crescents with chocolate inside. We look through seed catalogues and talk about how gorgeous the yard will be in Spring. We make birdseed treats for our feathered friends...and our squirrel family that resides in the maple tree out our front door.

Pictures to come....

Checking in...

Hello!

This is for my Dad, who said "post a blog, already, would ya?!"
Hi Dad!

I am not ignoring you, honest to honesty!
It's just that this year has decided to grab me by the scruff and start running. The past four weekends, in review:
January 1: Mrs P's birthday bash. It was a big party for a big year that ends in zero. And like any big party populated with middle-aged adults, it teetered between rowdy and silly. There were jello shots and there was wii dancing and that's all you need to know.
January 7 & 8: Kyle Cassidy was here, photographing veterans for his book, War Paint.
January 15 & 16: Took the kids to a Children's production of Cinderella on Saturday, had scouts on Sunday.
January 22 & 23: I worked Saturday and spent Sunday in my jammies.

Not to mention that I am now working at the tattoo shop Tuesday-Friday and 2 Saturdays a month, volunteering in Adrian's classroom on Tuesdays, arranging a group art show, and still trying to do the art-a-day challenge.
The next 3 weekends look equally busy and I think my next weekend off is the 2nd weekend in March.

The kids are good...Fiona is recovering from her first ever ear infection. Adrian is in need of warm weather and wide open spaces--all that boy wants to do is run & jump & climb.

BEST PHRASE EVER

No one can ruin your day without your permission.

Translates into:

I do not give you permission to __________ (use that tone of voice/pinch your brother/yell at your sister). Go to your room until you are ready to apologize.

(So much LESS yelling on my part. So much MORE listening on theirs.)

It's like magic.