Monday, January 25, 2016

Wintry Mix

Where has January gone? Its weeks and days seem as blurred to me as the fine-falling snow outside my windows. (Yes, it's snowing here - hooray! Nothing so heavy as the blizzard back East - just a few fresh inches to fill in the gaps caused by a recent spell of dry and windy below-zero weather.)

There were several blog posts I'd like to have written this month, but life has been crowded and time has been short. So here's a kind of January summing-up - a Wintry Mix post, if you will.

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A few weeks ago I took my camera for a walk, but after one photo, the battery died.


(A nice wintry photo, though. I like to see the oak leaves still clinging to the trees.)

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The Aged P is having a series of extensive skin cancer surgeries on his face and head, which means lots of running for me and my sister, and lots of driving back and forth for the daily dressing changes. Mr. M (bless him!) has nobly pitched in to help with this job, since he passes by Dad's place every day. The plastic surgeon told me that women are generally better than men at changing dressings - but Mr. M has proved pretty handy with the tape and gauze.

We hope and pray that in a few weeks Dad will be whole of scalp once more.

(And the moral of that is: wear your sunscreen!)

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I bought a bag of oranges, and one of them looked like this:


Citrus confusion?


This is what comes of hanging out with those lemon trees in the next field.

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In the intervals of knitting mittens and beavering away at a magazine commission, I've been making some Valentine-y coasters:


Pattern coming soon.

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Yesterday afternoon I took a walk to the park (making sure to have a fresh battery in the camera this time).

It was a damp, chilly, grey-and-white day, punctuated with the tawny and black of last summer's growth. Oak leaves huddled in the corner of the baseball field, waiting for the new season to start:


At the edge of the pond stood cattails wearing brown velvet coats....


Milkweed pods, greyer than the sky....


Once-vibrant prairie coneflower heads....


Delicately lovely wild-grass seed....


And goldenrod, like memories of summer lace:


The gap between winter and summer is so great; it seems an age since these flowers were in bloom. Was there ever really a summer? Yes - and there will be again. The fragile dried blossoms at the edge of the pond are the substance of things hoped for, the promise of warmth to come.

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Have you seen the bright planets aligning in the night and morning sky? We've been looking out for them every clear evening. Even the full moon of a few nights back could not eclipse their shine.

I'm sorry I haven't been able to visit you lately. How is your January going?

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21 comments:

  1. January is almost over.. then February.. then March.. and then.. and then SPRING! You captured some neat winter plant images. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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  2. It's good to see you back, you've been missed! I do believe that orange is confused. Thank you for the beautiful pictures.
    Blessings,
    Betsy

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  3. Love your pictures! It s so hard to believe that spring will come and everything will be green and vibrant again. Sorry to hear about your dad, I spent many years doing elder care with both sets of parents. There is always something going on. Hope he recovers quickly. January is such a meh month, looking forward to Februrary, it's nice to see th days getting a bit longer now, it's light past 5 now. Have a good week!

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  4. Really like those pictures of the grasses and seed pods against the snow background - lovely.
    Liz

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  5. I'm afraid my January has been hindered by sinusitis which looks lie it may continue on into February such a nuisance as I really have no time to me ill. Your pictures are beautiful, I bet you were so fed up when you realised your battery had died! I hope your dad recovers quickly from his skin surgery it must be very sore bless him. I love the shape of the orange did it still taste the same or was it sour? Love the coaster! :) xx

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  6. I'm afraid my January has been hindered by sinusitis which looks lie it may continue on into February such a nuisance as I really have no time to me ill. Your pictures are beautiful, I bet you were so fed up when you realised your battery had died! I hope your dad recovers quickly from his skin surgery it must be very sore bless him. I love the shape of the orange did it still taste the same or was it sour? Love the coaster! :) xx

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  7. Did the confused orange taste okay? Or, was it actually a lemon lemon? Nice wintry pics. We're sending get well thoughts to your dad.

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  8. Oh boy. I am going to make those coasters! Hurry pattern come quick!
    Bless the wounds and dressings!

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  9. That wee orange made me laugh - hope it tasted of oraneg and not lemon! Hoping, also, that your dad is healing well. Juliex

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  10. Good to catch up with you. I hope that all will be OK for your Dad and soon. That is a confused orange isn't it! I wonder what the lemons look like!! xx

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  11. Those are some gorgeous images of winter! I hope you dad is doing well now. Just think how well he's doing because you, your sister and Mr. M are all there for him.

    I hope you get time for more winter walks with a camera that works and a fresh battery! (Yes, you detect a sinister camera in there...)

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  12. Prayers for your Dad to heal quickly. Bless your husband for helping. Prayers for you and your sister, too. I know you both would not have it any other way but to help, but I also know that can make your body tired over time. So I send you both prayers. I always love seeing your beautiful photos. The skies are always so amazing where you live. Yay! On the new magazine work. The heart is adorable. Love heart shaped things. :) My January has been spent knitting and trying to stay warm. I live in hope that February will be warm(er). Blessings always sweet friend.

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  13. Your poor dad, that sounds horribly painful! I hope it all heals soon.

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  14. Mr M is a good man, helping out with the dressings. I do hope that your Dad recovers fast.

    I enjoyed your snowy walk, especially the seed heads.

    I have been to much mentally stimulated in January and I hope that February will be calmer.

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  15. SO sorry about your Dad, it never ends. Hopefully he is feeling better and that everything heals up quickly. Love your photos and can't wait to get that coaster pattern.
    Hugs,
    Meredith

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  16. Beautiful winter pictures! So very different to South Africa where I live. .. We have had the driest and hottest summer in decades!

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  17. Beautiful winter pictures! So very different to South Africa where I live. .. We have had the driest and hottest summer in decades!

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  18. I do hope your Dad is whole again soon Sue.

    I'm envying you your snow ... we've just had more rain, and more rain, and more rain ... snow would make a nice change!

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  19. Bravo for you, Sue...balancing assorted circumstances. May your dad heal rapidly as you and all give him loving care. Thanks for sharing the gorgeous winter images, and showing us your clever heart shaped coaster. We may get a few snowflakes here in the valley on Monday...I'm just hoping we don't get ice like we did at the first of year...or that if we do we handle it without mishap. I'm crocheting the edging on the latest preemie blanket I knit and crocheting a dress for my granddaughter Joy's dolly. Blessings on you and yours as winter gives in to Spring....eventually :) xx

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  20. Hi Sue!

    I'm sorry, I know I am writing in the wrong area, but the link to e-mail you would not work for me. I am trying your beautiful scarf titled Both Sides Now Scarf in the interweave crochet magazine and am not sure I am doing your rune stitch and twisted stitch correctly. I've searched online but can't seem to find something that matches. In particular I am having a hard time with knowing for both stitches where and in which direction to first insert the hook (back post for Rune and back lp of same st in the twisted). Would it be possible for you to send me an image of how you insert for those those stiches? My e-mail is gina.d.geoghegan@gmail.com Thank you kindly!

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