Baby, It's Cold Outside

Winter has hit Indiana early and it has hit us hard. We had a big storm right after Thanksgiving that dumped 8 inches of heavy wet snow, then two more minor snows this past week, plus a short rainfall that turned into black ice yesterday. The main bridge over the Wabash has been closed three times as it ices quickly.

Today we have this:

It is 0 degrees this morning and another snowstorm is expected to come through on Sunday. Sigh.

The heavy snow has frozen into large, icy sheets that break into large, icy chunks when shoveled or plowed. Our drive has been shoveled, but after the snowplows pushed a lot of the street snow back up in front of it, it was difficult to get out again. Two neighbors, Paul and Chris, came over and shoveled that away, from our house and a couple of others. Backbreaking work and a surprise, but we are so very grateful! (Note to self: bake those men a couple of loaves of bread!)

The dogs have not been to the park for a week. It's just not accessible for me on a walker right now, and with Craig's fall history, it's definitely a no-go for him, too. (You can see that heavy, chunky snow pushed up by snowplows at the park's entrance.)

So, the dogs have been playing hard inside and out. Hesitant about the snow at first, Florida boi Tammo has come to enjoy a good romp or two around the back yard. 

They've also enjoyed simply cozying up in the warm house and napping. (For the record, all four of them SNORE.) Mama is with us; she's in the doggy bed on the floor.

There are some bright spots despite the abysmal weather.

Little Elsie Mae has turned one month old!  We are all enchanted with her and I can't wait to meet her.

The Rock Fairy came again and we were a lucky recipient!

It is a holiday rock,

but it isn't one of those in the photo the rock fairy posted on our neighborhood Facebook page. Hmm. Must've made a new batch.

I am convinced the rock fairy knows me, especially after the last one with a big horseshoe on it.

I even suspected Kathy. I learned long ago to never underestimate her capabilities.  For example, she makes chain mail jewelry that she sells to support causes for those who are blind.

A gold and white bracelet that Kathy made me.

An orange and blue one to wear when my college team, the University of Illinois, is playing a game. Note that it is a completely different pattern from the first. All Kathy asks is for someone to check it when she is done to make sure she did not slip up on the colors. Impressive, right?

She could do this, but she would need help with the delivery aspect. Her parents live on the next street over, and while they do drive her places, they are in their 80s and I know would not be out in this snow and weather. This delivery has allowed me to cross Kathy off my list of "suspects." 

So, who is it? I have no idea. And that's okay. It's a lovely project and our neighborhood loves and appreciates these surprises that are left for us to find. Thank you, Rock Fairy!

Finally, today's Yuletide Photo prompt is, "Krampus is coming! Who's been naughty?"

The only thing I could come up with was The Twelve Days of Christmas I did with my models in December, 2020.  All my Lady Phases, save one, had blankets, and so for the tenth day of Christmas, I had the mares stage a protest of "ten mares a'griping." 

Not sure it's Krampus worthy, but it works for me!

Stay warm, everybody! And stay 'tooned!

 

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

First Post of the Day

For some reason, this year I am getting my holiday decorations up quickly and much more easily than I usually do. Why? No idea. But I am enjoying feeling well enough to be hauling tubs downstairs and making my home look Christmassy.

I always begin the day after Thanksgiving with the front porch. It's not a lot, but it is enough to make me feel the holiday spirit.

My red mini me Short and Sweet arrived and after shooting some pics, I decided to leave all the candy stripers out, at least for a while.

My sisters were also decorating their homes. When I saw Jenny's tree, I knew I had found our new tree. I loved how her collection of antique ornaments could be seen so well from this giant ornament tree. And, that they were far less likely to slide off a flimsy branch and break.

So I ordered my own. It arrived yesterday and it was quick and easy for me to assemble.

This one has lights but that's today's project.

I sure wish I could also copy Leslie's outdoor gate decor, too.

Her farm is so pretty in the snow.

The greenery is on the player piano and my mother's nativity will go on top when Lisa comes over. (We always do that together.) The ornaments will go on my new ornament tree after I get the lights on it.

A painting that my mom did as her father's Christmas gift dated 1944, another nativity, a pink candy cane box that Sarah made me years ago (note to self: replenish those candy canes!), a mini ceramic tree made by my mother, and my favorite childhood ornament, the "pink ornament" as it is called. Oh, and I have turned the pillars between the dining and living rooms into giant candy canes.

Chrismas mugs made by my mom, a Christmas train from Lisa, and two snow people that Cambria made us last Christmas. Nearly everything I put out in our home has sentimental significance.

I made this tablecloth when the kids were little. Its colors are fading, but it still gets put out. A mini ornament tree is on the table with the ornaments from my childhood that my kids surprised me with last Mother's Day.

The dining room piano's decor. I always open the hymnal to Christmas songs this time of year. Right now my favorite is up - O, Come All Ye Faithful.

My dad made the ornament tree for me early in our marriage and is considered a family heirloom. (He loved Christmas!) The German nativity was something Craig bought the family years ago - another family heirloom.

The nutcrackers are also a gift from Dad, the Swedish Yule goat is a gift from Emily that she brought back from her year in Sweden (she is half Swedish/half Canadian), a wooden reindeer from Jessica, and two nativities from my mother.

I still have things to put out, but like I said, it is going quickly and easily. 

Finally, our neighborhood rock fairy posted a sneak peak of his or her holiday rocks. These will be hidden around our neighborhood as gifts to the lucky finders.

Aren't they pretty? I hope I find one but honestly, I already have three so unless it's placed on my mailbox or park bench and obviously meant for me, I will probably leave it for someone else to have.

I plan to write a second post this morning with today's Yuletide Challenge pictures, but I've got Nash and Mama coming for the day and need to run to the vet and then to Meijer. If it's not up by noon Eastern time, I'll bump it to tomorrow.

Stay 'tooned!

A Visit from the Rock Fairy

Yesterday began with a bright spot - a discovery that I had received a surprise from our neighborhood Rock Fairy.

I was taking Pepper to the park for our morning game of frisbee and noticed it sitting on our mailbox post.

Very clearly, it was meant for me. Whoever the Rock Fairy is, they know that I am a horsey girl.

Case in point? I was wearing a horsey dress to walk Pepper! (The blue fabric on the bottom right.)

So, what is a Rock Fairy? It is someone in our neighborhood who has decided to spread some cheer by secretly leaving rock art at homes and in the park for us to find. And that rock art is really cool.

Three times rock art has been left at our home.

Our first gift was several years ago and it was left in the same place as yesterday's piece.

The second piece was last summer. I'd accidentally thrown Pepper's frisbee on top of the roof of the pavilion in our park and put a note on our neighborhood Facebook page asking that if anyone found it, to let me know and I'd come get it.

The frisbee was on our sundial the very next morning along with our second piece of rock art.

There are some clues to the Rock Fairy's identity. It is someone who knows me, knows I love horses, and knows where I live. The first gift may have been a random drop, but the second and the third were not.

Teacher Daughter Lisa has lots of students, current and former, who live in our neighborhood. They meet Pepper and me when they earn Pepper Passes  or when I do my annual presentation on 18th century history right before The Feast of the Hunters' Moon. Could the Rock Fairy be from one of those school families?

Or is it someone we meet at the park while walking the dogs? Friends who pass by  that we chat with while outside working on the yard? Is it Kathy? She does chain mail jewelry; I have no doubts that she could do rock art, too.

I may never know, but I will pass on the kindness by doing something for someone else. 

Oops... I Did It Again

Oops... I did it AGAIN! 

Pepper's frisbee rests on the roof of our park's pavilion. And guess who threw it up there.

Yep!

If it were down a little lower, we could get it by using a rake.  But it's too high and we would need a ladder as well as a rake. It was stuck up there until wind or rain brought it down.

Resigned to the loss of the frisbee, we finished playing, throwing Tammo's frisbee for both dogs to chase, even though neither dog likes to share and some tussling ensued.

I turned to our neighborhood Facebook group for a little help.

And then I settled in to wait for the weather to bring it down.

The next morning I discovered a surprise on the sundial in our stepping stone garden.

Pepper's frisbee! And a gift along with it! The neighborhood rock fairy had struck again!

Who is the rock fairy? No one knows. But they leave handmade rock art all over the neighborhood for people to find and enjoy.

The first one I found was on our mailbox and now resides in my dining room china cabinet. I've found several others since they began appearing last summer. It's an unusual and lovely art form and has become a very, very loved tradition in our neighborhood.

Thank you for returning Pepper's frisbee and the bonus gift, rock fairy! And Pepper, I plan to throw more carefully when we play later this morning. (At least it didn't go in the lake this time, right?)

Two weeks from today until Thanksgiving, folks! My favorite holiday and I'm really getting excited!