Marching Toward Spring, In Snow Boots

Welcome, March.
The month that will bring us the first day of Spring.

In keeping with the Old Wives' Tales, March 2015

in the Northeast USA is indeed coming in, roaring like a Lion.

More snow today, piling onto the accumulated snow

that's been whiting us out all Winter.  

I am not sad to see this February pass into memory.

It had its moments.  Valentine's Day, for instance.

The regular visits of our Cardinal pair to our window bird feeder.

Isn't Mr. C. adorable?  

He leaves the feeder each time, and flies up to the driveway,

where he perches on the side mirror of my minivan, and regurgitates food to give to the

handsome Cardinal he sees in that mirror.  Yes, it's a bird thing.

The term "bird brain" suddenly makes perfect sense.

February had its beautiful, quiet moments.

Our yard received its PhD.

(Piled Higher and Deeper.)

Out on the East End of Long Island, the family beach house

was battered by a late January blizzard, and snows that followed.

One after another after another.  A rough winter for sure.

Still, there is a frozen beauty that is quite spectacular.

The snow gave our two dogs chances to look adorable.

Gilda, our Redhead, loves awful weather, the rougher the better.

She eats snow, rolls in it, wears it, lies down in it ...

she only comes back in the house if lured with a tasty cookie.

Her coat has grown so thick and weatherproof this winter,

that she's beginning to resemble a small one of these:

A glamorous Highland Cow.

As for Dylan, he is missing his romps in the yard, but is

managing to find his own fun indoors.  He is creative.

All in all, February held 2 family birthdays for us, and some other revelry.
However, I bid it goodbye, gleefully, with a smile and a jaunty wave.

Spring will come.

I don't really want to know what will be revealed when all the snow
in our yard is finally melted from those areas we have not been able to get to.

If you, too, have dogs you understand.

But I am looking forward to March

skipping away like a sweet little Lamb.  

Goodbye, Old Man Winter.

Don't let the screen door hit you

in the (euphemistic term here) on the way out.

What have you, my blogging friends, been doing to get through this Winter?

19 days, ladies and gents.  19 days.  Spring!

First one in the northern USA to spot a blooming crocus, wins. -- Cass

And special thanks to Karen, the Graphics Fairy, for the vintage images!

Catching Up!

It's been more than a month since my last blog post.

I know!!!

Crazy, huh?   So what have you all been up to? 

We had a great Thanksgiving; 15 at table this year, which is probably about half what we usually have, but it made for a peaceful holiday, and a quicker cleanup!  As always, Howard wore his turkey shirt.  And for the first time ever, I forgot to get a picture of him in it.

Oh well.

At least I got this fellow, wandering the edge of a nearby road on the Sunday

before Thanksgiving.  Making his great escape, I guess.

We've had too much of this:

Anne, clearing ice off my van.

In the spirit of the season, Anne tried decking the dog with antlers.

Dylan decided to eat them instead.

But bigger brains prevailed.

Get that off, Mr. Smartypants.

After more than a year, the local birds discovered our window-hung

bird feeder.  They are not quick studies, our local birds.

Especially since the local squirrels discovered it at about the same time.

Our fresh tree, in the sunroom.

It's a winner this year -- and a species we have never heard of!

Canaan Fir.  It's wonderful.  If you can find one, grab it.

Do you like all the storage boxes and the white plastic around it?  Hahaha . . . we run a classy joint.

 This is me, singing at church.

OK.  That's a fib.

But what isn't a fib is that it has taken me all these weeks to get into 

the spirit of the season . . . and it's coming none too soon,

as our annual Christmas Grab Bag party is tomorrow.

Yikes.  I've got lots to do.  See you on the other side of Saturday!

-- Cass

'Snow What? Our Party's Postponed!

Mother Nature, you are such a card.
On the one hand, you present us with several
inches of fresh fluffy white snow.

On the other hand, you rob us of our party today.

:-(

Dylan Dog is disappointed.

"What?  No party?  What will I do for snacks?"

"Look me in the eye, and tell me you are not being wimps.
After what you expect ME to do in the snow . . . !"

"If the guests are not coming today, can I have the brisket?
I am looking right at you; how can you say No?"

 ********************************

Our Grab Bag Christmas Party is not cancelled.

It is just postponed until Sunday.

Don't forget!  :-) 

Cass

P.S.  In the second picture of Dylan, his favorite stuffed chicken's foot is tucked beneath his muzzle.
It looks as if our little dog has fierce big scary orange fangs.  He wishes!

My owl planter doesn't look too happy, either.

Spring and Snow From Long Ago

Two years ago, on Thursday, March 4, 2010,
we had snow on the ground.  A lot.  And more to come.
Spring Fever hits hard when you have endured a rough winter -- as we learned in both 2010 and 2011 --
but this winter has been so mild that Spring Fever is almost just a dim memory.

I'm reviving that memory, with a re-run of a two-year-old post.

************************************

Welcome to a Springtime Table at That Old House . . . 

with colors and shapes right out of Mr. McGregor's Garden.

(from Thursday, March 4, 2010)

The setting: the old oak table in the conservatory, with a sheer tablecloth,

a vintage gift from my mother-in-law, folded over and tossed on to give a light and gauzy covering.

In the center, a gathering of Spring . . . .

Place settings of Mikasa Ribbon Pink china, an Ebay find that belongs to my daughter Anne.
But who brings such pretty china to grad school? Mama is keeping it safe at home.

Is Mrs. Bunny staring at me?

A stomach's eye view -- dinner and soup plates, old Irish linen napkin,
old Georgian silverplate flatware (1912).

Irish crystal stemware.

In the center of the table, an asparagus tureen.
From Tuesday Morning shop, two summers ago. I had looked at it on several trips,
and finally one day my daughter Anne went into the store, came out to the car carrying a box,
handed it to me and said, "Here it is. You know you want it. You owe me $15."

A hurricane candle, a gift from my very dear friend Betsy.
I love the etched cranberry glass shade, and the swirled pewter base.

Roses! A soft and creamy pink, and nestled in an asparagus pitcher
from a now-defunct store named Bradlee's,
back in the Year One when my girls still rode in the shopping cart while I browsed.

My favorite bunny, a sweet crackle-glazed matron who stays out all year,
because Easter is just not long enough for me to enjoy Mrs. Bunny. She is so matronly and comforting.
Especially when she has black jelly beans in her basket! Today, it's just healthy grapes.

A cut crystal fairy lamp, Gorham, a gift from my mother-in-law. (Who gives me the sweetest things.)

Our place settings. What shall we put on those plates?

I'm still checking Ebay occasionally for more pieces of this pretty china.

Mikasa Ribbon Pink ... let me know if you spot any!

Ebay again . . . old linen runner, hand embroidered and edged in hand crocheted lace.
Can you resist old hand made linens? I can't.

Outside, it is snowing.

Inside, it is warm and dry, and we light the candles as night draws in,
as people have done for centuries when darkness falls.

Pull up a chair, watch the snow,
then take heart that the season for bunnies and asparagus is almost here! -- Cass

What Is Wrong With This Picture?

So what, indeed, is wrong with this picture?

 Here's a hint:  that is the Scarecrow at our sunroom door.
Today. 

 He and his other Scarecrow friends are all covered in snow.
Today.

 As is everything else in the yard at That Old House,

and in the rest of the North East USA.
Today.

And it is two days before Halloween!

Now you know what is wrong with all these pictures.

Global warming, my eye.

It's a good day to stay inside, watch the snow fall,
and think about all the buried but blooming begonias, geraniums,
and snapdragons that are having the surprise of their short little lives.

See the lilac tree through the window?
I should have noticed it was sagging.
Look at the next picture to see its fate.

Houses feel so different when it is snowing, don't they?

They feel so much more like nests.

And now I'm going to do more nesting; snuggle in, folks!

The snow's not over yet.  -- Cass

PostScript

 Oh dear.  I just looked out the window to the left of my desk.
At our big, beautiful lilac tree.

Sigh.
Trees weren't meant to carry snowloads and leaves at the same time.
All the main stems (trunks?) have snapped under the weight.

Dang.  Instead of nesting, we should have been outside shaking snow off the branches.
Well, it's half the size it was, but I guess it can always grow!