Comforts and Small Joys to Pass a Canadian Winter in Isolation

We had a wolf moon last week- the first full moon of a new year. Early morning stepping onto the front veranda for wood I was surprised by how it looked so brilliant and illuminated the landscape.  This photo taken around 7:30 am. and look at those colours...cobalt? purples?  What colour(s) do you see|?

I am toting a lot of wood these days, part of the routine here in winter.  I'm pleased my joints aren't creaking though I think my arms may be an inch or two longer by the end of the winter. Never fear, I know exactly my limit with the hoisting and carrying. 

 We'd talked about doing this and decided it was time... We registered with the goodfood folks to get a box with three meals a week delivered. I still have to cook them but besides choosing from a menu, don't have to think about the groceries for them, or that interminable question what will we have for supper. Several have been enough for two nights for us especially with a salad added or an extra veg or bread, etc. We've enjoyed all of the 6 meals we've had so far, even his nibs saying they are tasty. This has buoyed me up as I was feeling tired of my own cooking. The meal below was oven roasted veggies on quinoa with a cream sauce that was very tasty. Maybe this will see us through till the present stricter lockdown is lifted.

  I do wonder what do the folks who don't have hobbies do during these days. Though I guess the internet and tv do offer loads of entertainment. I know a couple who are enjoying movie marathons, in their case, all their old favourites. That sounds like a great idea. We watched this movie on Netflix and enjoyed the calm, understated way the story got told. Always liked both the main actors, Ralph Fiennes and Carey Mulligan. 

My shawl is this big. The very simple knitting pattern, Seed stitch, offers an easy rhythm while relaxing in front of the tv. Btw, several of you wondered and here's my answer- if I can do this, you can do it. Knit and purl patterns are easy to learn.  Shades of that sky above...

I finished this piece Find the Good Every Day by Erica Michaels on 32 count linen, two threads over two. I changed a couple things... chose a lighter colour for the background scroll and omitted the edging which I began and didn't care for. There has been a massive resurgence of the past time of cross stitching with many folks either trying it for the first time or returning to it after years away. It's been wonderful to read their accounts of newfound comfort with needle and thread.

 I also did what a lot of cross stitchers do when stitching an alphabet...put the initials of family members in a different colour, in this case those of my two girls and their two sons. 

I always loved receiving mail. When I lived in isolated communities on the coast of Labrador and in the Far North, the arrival of the mail plane was a joyful event. In one Labrador community, if the mail plane made it before Christmas it meant the children had gifts from Santa who would put their gifts on that plane. One time the plane arrived on the day school was closing for the Christmas break. When we heard the unmistakable sound of a plane's engine, the children, all 23 of them, ran outside and began waving, laughing and hollering at it. We watched, so happy for them and clapping too.

 Children have such joy in them and to share it was one of the best things about being a teacher. (By the way, I am friends on Facebook with one of the students who was there that day. She was in Grade 1 at the time and is a retiree herself now.)

But getting back to present day mail. Two books arrived...This one by Jen Kingwell called Quilt Lovely featuring 15 different projects, came very quickly from Amazon, the only place I could find it.    

I've had Jen's Glitter pattern noted for a long time, another great scrappy pattern. 

And this one from the Blackbird Designs ladies who straddle the two creative worlds of quilting and cross stitching.  The Bells on Christmas Day features five patterns for cross stitch of a primitive and sampler kind of style. Here is the link to their blog and a design called Frosty's Night Out that is very cute.

Nattering here...Hubby in his new Eddie Bauer fleece lined shirt, more happy mail.  I told him it's called a shacket, and he said why not call it a jirt.  He points to how hard it is to warm an old man (he doesn't shy away from calling himself that) citing how many layers he is wearing...in this photo, four, even as he's planted directly in front of the fire.  

Later that day, it was bitterly cold but bright, eye-blinding sunshine as we ventured out for our walk and I said to him, look at that sun. Turn your face to it and let it warm you.  Take it in.  Though things are different in our world just now, this sun is the same old warming sun as far as I can tell. 

Another small but not insignificant joy is linking up with these fine folks....Not Afraid of Color, My Corner of the World and It's a Small Town Life.