The Night is a Strawberry: Hot Chocolate and Regret

This is a blog which brings to life the stories from my favorite author, Louise Penny.   







The Night is a Strawberry: Hot Chocolate and Regret: by Libby Armand Gamache felt he could nod off. His socks were now dry and slightly crispy, the mug of hot chocolate warmed hi...

January 2016, wow, winter is here.

It's finally deep into January and winter. Milder than most years for which I am very grateful. This past week Saint Germain has been having below zero temps, and with a strong wind so I'm not out walking in the woods much. It's been just enough to go out to the studio (unheated) and pack pottery to ship out.  But what is a blessing from the cold is that it usually means clear skies. Blue skies and long shadows under the trees.

Winter time means time to get my accounting stuff ready for the tax man, sort thru receipts and have new empty folders for 2016. I love having Quicken for my business checkbook, since it makes it so easy to print off end of year reports!

And with the slower winter time I can work on unfinished quilting projects.  This is called "Evelyns Album" and is from the quilt shop Primitive Gatherings of Menasha Wi. Wool on flannel, hand stitched flowers by my daughter Amanda and handquilted by me. Very cuddly.

So now it's time to finish a few other projects and start playing around with some bread recipes.
Stay warm.

the year starts again

It's the end of the first day of 2015, strange to type a new number but it will become a habit soon. Barry and I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year and best wishes for your life. We have been so blessed by all the interactions with friends, cherished love ones and wonderful customers. A huge Thank You to all.  Now we start the quiet time of our year when we plan on doing more hobby work (quilting for me and ice fishing for Barry), some design ideas get put to paper and perhaps more time with family and friends.

Living in northern Wisconsin year round makes you really appreciate our brief summers. Winter has it's own magic with more of a black and white visual impact. You learn to study the crisp line of fox footprints in the snow circling round the house or the diamond like glint of the snow as the sun hits it.  Many beauties to study out there from the warmth of my sunroom.  We keep the bird feeders filled and hang suet bags out to attract the woodpeckers and the bluejays.  The most difficult is during the long spells of below zero weather that challenges all living things outside.  But we are blessed and know it.

Enjoy this long night of January 1 and drink something enjoyable tonight as we start this new journey around the calendar.
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End of summer

From drying of pots in the sun to the finished products.  And of course Barry's baskets are ready to fill with fall leaves!