I awoke Sunday morning to the sound of the wind

roaring against the house. Making the large wash pan I nailed on the porch wall to clang and bang. The smell of dust was everywhere inside of the house. I look out of the window..............this is how our drive looked, when the wind was just beginning to build it's strength.

I opened the back door and the wind smashed it up against me, and the sand from the distant cotton field stung my face. Winds blew at 60 miles an hour here and across our dry area. This caused many problems along the way, for folks near and far. The blinding sand from all of the cotton fields caused a major pile up on the interstate. The interstate was then closed for hours. Because of the winds and the extreme dry conditions, high line wires sparked, and the heat from passing cars caused the dry areas to catch fire. Many folks had their acreage burned and some lost homes. The fire fighters were fighting one fire after another and not able to get to them all at the same time. I have grown to love this prickly, thorny, and windy place. However, when times as these come about............it causes my soul to be unrestful. Worry seems to be a constant companion at times like this for many Texans. We get our hope and our joy when storm clouds form on the horizon.....................a hopeful glimpse of much needed rain to come.

What are you going through at this time? Are you still digging out from the snow?

Are you also going through high winds and dry earth?

I would love to hear.

For the longest time

Abby has been sitting in the window,........................ quietly,

........................... motionless, looking at something. ................What can it be??

Is it the pretty primrose I have just potted and placed in the windowsill below her?

No...................

It's this speckled lovely that must have been fluttering about and finally came to rest on the outside wall.

I love the way it appears to have a long shaggy hairdo.........don't you?

So full of color when only yellow seems to be the brightest color it has.
Whoever thought that white and black spots would go well with black and white stripe legs??
God and mother nature are truly the artists!
I really need to take some lessons from them!
How about you?
Any color sprouting or fluttering around in your corner of the world?
I would love to hear!
*********Also, I have just posted a wonderful hearty soup on my cooking blog to warm you up from the winter chill! Click on this link and enjoy!

My Country Kitchen http://countrykitchenkat.blogspot.com/

The warm weather

has made every thing wake up from it's winter slumber.

The noisy flocks of birds that have migrated to and from the farm are almost too much for Salem to bear. He sits in the tree, motionless, hoping the birds are not smart enough to figure him out..............but as I know...........and he soon finds out............no bird to catch today!
In the far back corner of the hen house, lies a lonely little egg, cautiously watched by Maggie ,the speckled hen, who hopes that I have not found her secret spot.

Out in the greenhouse, the tulips have come to life and have started sprouting, unaware of the chilly weather we have just had. I wonder what color they will be...........

The bougainvillea is putting on new blooms and is stretching it's limbs throughout the greenhouse.

while out in the pond, a bullfrog has dug himself out of his hole and jumped into the cold water, making him a little slower that usual.

Out in the woods, the wind blows through the dry and crackled brush

as an empty nest hangs on to the thorn of a mesquite tree, waiting for life to once again call it home.

Spring won't be too far away now............I am ready!

Are you?

I love cookbooks..........

have I told you this before????????

I do!

I can sit and READ a cookbook just as if it were a romance novel! I have spent years collecting.............not just old ones,............but all and any. Many I have purchased either new, but the larger part being at library books sales..........a wonderful place to find them! I have been giving so many from friends, who no longer want them and who find them on their travels. I am truly grateful!!

I have a small section of vintage cookbooks,some old in years, but look as if they were never opened, some more tattered than the rest, but all full of the good old recipes that we all have grown up tasting.

This week instead of stitching or playing in the greenhouse, I set out to get my home in order............room by room. One of the things on my list was to get some more shelving for my new bunch of cookbooks, that found their way to my porch and into my heart.
Can you tell how much I love them? {:

I don't just collect and read, I also cook out of all of them. I go through them, mark the recipe I want to fix and after I have fixed it, I write notes as to how it was to fix,along with the date, who did or did not like it,.......and why.............. and whether or not, if I will fix it again.
I have gone back and found where I have written something years ago! It makes me smile. So if one were to say that I have an addiction.............it would be cookbooks...........sigh.

How about you? What do you like to collect?

Do you collect cookbooks like I do, or do you collect something totally different?

Do you have something vintage in your collection?

How does your item wind up in your collection? Do friends and family pass them along? or do you go on a massive search?

I would love to hear!

The snow has left

but Winter's icy breath still blows around the corners

of the house and through the dry grass of the prairie.
Her friend Jack Frost has been busy decorating the cars,

and the windows.

I am always in awe of this beautiful form of ice work!

Valentine's day is almost here!

What do you have planned? A basket full of sweets for your sweetie........maybe a nice romantic evening alone together by the fire?

Valentine's day stirs up images of sweet hearts with sweet sayings, ....................

Here is a simple and sweet design to stitch for the one dear to your heart. You can get the free pattern by visiting my embroidery blog, Yesteryear Embroideries. Here is the link..............

http://yesteryearembroideries.blogspot.com

and the image of rich and creamy chocolate!
For a rich, delicious dessert after that romantic meal, visit My Country Kitchen blog for the recipe. Here is the link..............

http://countrykitchenkat.blogspot.com

What is your favorite thing about Valentines day? The baskets filled with heart shaped candies?

The beautiful bouquets of flowers perhaps?

I would love to hear!

Have yourselves a sweet Valentine's Day!

The Texas sky that was once a cheery blue,

has been a smokey grey for the past 3 days,.............(we are not supposed to have snow for 3 days!)

covering the dry grounds with thick ice and fluffy snow. Every thing lies motionless and quiet. The pond is completely frozen over. If you look closely at the right side of the pond, the sweet little bird I posted about in my last post, has just perched on the frozen rock. It seems to dart in and out of the trees above me as I walk. I am so relieved to see that it is still alive and well! I am still curious as to why it is not afraid of me. (smile)
The snow is not deep, in fact, what has slowed us down the most, is the ice and the wind chill!
Where is the sun??? ..............have you seen it??

I am also snowed under with my handwork. I have one pile finished and ready, and one pile waiting to be stitched. I have also decided to start posting on my cooking blog again. I have missed my little "on-line cookbook" and I just received a large bag of orphaned cookbooks to go through. My cooking blog will be the perfect blank canvas to introduce you to these recipes as I work my way though them. For all of you who are going through this snow and even worse conditions, stay warm and safe!

If you find the sun..............send him this way.............please?

The woods and grounds are under a blanket

of snow that came to us in the night............(much needed moisture). As I write this, I can still hear the wind roaring outside, as it blows the snowflakes into the porch area.

Such a cold day...........................I am the only one who has dared to venture out to feed the animals this morning. Even Sophie decided to stay in her snug corner and to sleep a little longer.

Just yesterday, I was outside in the sunshine, being visited by this friendly little bird. The past few days, it has sat on a tree limb just inches away from me. I am not sure why it is so friendly,

but it is patient enough to let me follow it around the grounds, taking close up photos. I am always amazed and delighted by nature's gifts and God's little surprises during my day! I have seen this kind of bird during this season each year, by spring, it seems to have moved on. This year, I feel blessed to have such a friendly one to visit................I hope it has found a warm spot to stay in today!

So today, I will not be sitting outside to stitch, or to work the garden grounds.

It's time to find a really good old movie, to make a pot of stew and to enjoy the view from my window.

How about you? Are you enjoying the snow............or are you really ready for it to melt away?

I would love to hear!