From our house
to yours.
Showing posts with label snow. Show all posts
Showing posts with label snow. Show all posts
Merry Christmas 2024
Wednesday, December 25, 2024
Thursday, January 18, 2024
After seeing all the snow scene photos today from friends on social media, I looked through snow photos from bygone years and found photos of how I decorated my fireplace mantel one year for a party using snow scene photos. Perfect, inexpensive winter decor with a personal connection was a hit with my guests. Photos of the decorated mantel follow snow photos from recent years.
Here is the snow scene I posted to social media today. Perhaps the scarcity of snow in our area is why we all take photos to capture the scenes before the snow melts away. Today's snow only lasted a few hours after the sun came out. By nightfall, there was barely any snow left.
A view of our backyard from an upstairs bedroom window also includes a view into our naturalized woods. You can see the window screen pattern in the photo if you look closely in the lower right corner. No venturing outside in the frigid 13° weather on slippery sidewalks to take photos.
Snow softens harsh, stark winter scenes and inspires us all to take photos of snow scenes of our houses, gardens, children, and pets. North Texas received a small amount of snow overnight, and today my social media home page is filled with photos of my friends' houses and yards covered with snow. Well, almost covered with snow since there was such a small amount of snow.
The following photos are selected snow scenes at my house including some of the photos I used to decorate my mantel for winter one year.
Tuesday, November 7, 2023
Christmas traditions make the holiday special for families. D is for Dashing through the Snow is the fourth post at a look of Christmas traditions from A to Z that add sparkle, love, laughter, beauty, comfort, nostalgia, meaning, and joy to the Christmas season.
May this A to Z list, one letter per post, inspire a new tradition for you!
is for Dashing through the Snow.
Dreaming of a white Christmas is high on many people's Christmas wish lists regardless of where one lives. And, regardless of age! We dream of dashing through the snow in a one-horse open sleigh, laughing and singing all the way.
Tuesday, January 19, 2021
A French country style garden shed in the backyard is a delight all year, but even more so for a few hours in winter when covered in a light dusting of snow. Nature waved a magic wand and sprinkled soft white snowy layers that softened the harsh contours of winter.
Monday, November 9, 2020
A few years ago I learned how NOT to DIY flock a Christmas tree. In case you would like to flock a real tree or a faux tree, you may find a few tips from my experience to save you time, money, and energy.
Now is the time to buy the artificial snow before suppliers sell out for the season. You can wait until later to actually apply the DIY snow, but if you wait to buy supplies until you are ready to flock your tree in December, you may not be able to get the artificial flocking snow.
Friday, January 26, 2018
For people who live in snow-prone areas of the world, snow is not always a beautiful sight. Bundling up for work, getting the car to start in sub-freezing temperatures, and seeing mounds of snow in grocery parking lots pushed up in heaps with black soot become dreary.
For those of us who live in areas where snow is rare, snowfall is magical. We know it will only last for short periods of time, sometimes just fleeting minutes as the flakes melt hitting the ground. Other times there are serene scenes as our world comes to a standstill for the snow.
Enjoy the beautiful scenes of a heavy snowfall for us in 2010.
Look closely for glimpses of the garden shed when it was still an ugly duckling
and of the house before the covered porch was added.
Monday, January 16, 2017
Snowflakes on the Porch
Following Christmas, winter days are calmer with time for relaxing and enjoying the season without the frenzy that often accompanies Christmas. Falling snowflakes bring even a greater sense of peaceful days with the excitement that time stands still, even stops. No school, canceled meetings, changed schedules, sweat pants and hoodies, slow-cooking soups, and movie marathons.
All without guilt.
Monday, November 30, 2015
The clear blue skies
belied the true temperatures outside
the first week of December 2013.
the first week of December 2013.
What appeared to be a bright warm day was
a frigid day with temperatures well below freezing,
not even approaching 32°.
Oh, yes, it was definitely Christmas-feeling weather.
The bright sunshine provided solar heating to the
kitchen and added cheeriness to the
simple Christmas touches in the sunspace.
A sparse cedar tree, cut from the woods around the house,
held a small bird's nest, and
a multi-branched bare limb helps supported the spindly cedar
standing in a blue and white ceramic crock.
A small Santa box and ornaments hanging in the window
offered Christmas touches to the green flower pot holding
new and vintage gardening tools.
Looking through the cedar tree out the window,
the sunshine sparkled off the garden shed,
giving an impression of balmy weather.
Not balmy, however.
Still weeks away from Christmas,
the cold wintry air arrived very early
the first week in December 2013.
Snowy blue skies
filled with sunshine...
The spinning snowflake ornaments dancing on ribbons inside
were reminders of the snow and ice that were outside.
An Arctic-blast barreled through in the middle of a
Thursday night dropping only a few inches of mostly ice,
but enough to cover the roads and ground.
Three days later the snow and ice still covered the ground.
Three days is a long time in Texas for frozen precipitation to last.
Usually the bright sunshine quickly warms the ground
and melts away the snow and ice.
But not in December 2013.
Beautiful snowy blue skies
were filled with freezing air.
A small unadorned fir tree on the deck
had patches of frozen snow and ice as its decoration.
A mix of brown leaves and snow in brilliant sunshine
illustrates the unusual overlapping of fall and winter seasons in Texas.
Inside, the lone bird's egg in its nest was snug and warm in the sunshine.
The gardening tools were enjoying a rest from their normal routine.
The old Santa box from Hallmark years ago
had a woodsy Santa listening to a bird on a snow-laden fir tree.
The old clay pot added a Christmas feeling with its
green paint and gold-lettered script
that I painted several years ago with a quote
about the flute.
... next was the flute, the second oldest instrument in the world,
emulating the sound of the wind in the trees and
the birds in the air, nothing but breath against wood or bamboo.
Victoria magazine
Though the deceptive blue skies harbored freezing temperatures outside,
the sunspace inside was warm from sun and simple touches of Christmas.
❦
~~~~~~~~~~
Can you believe it is time to begin decorating for Christmas this year?
This time next week look for Christmas inspiration from all over Texas
when 26 Texas bloggers share a window into Christmas in Texas.
Stacey at Poofing the Pillows
is hosting
 |
| December 7-11, 2015 |
I was thrilled when Stacey invited me to be part of this
first-ever Christmas blog hop of 26 Texas bloggers, and
am honored to be on the first day line-up on
Monday, December 7, 2015.
Several of the bloggers have shared their plans with all of us,
and this is going to be a great Christmas blog hop!
You don't want to miss any of the posts
that include decorations, crafts, recipes, and even a fashionista.
~~~~❦~~~~
Please join me at these inspiring sites...
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
Sunday, February 8, 2015
One recent winter found me alone, rattling around inside the empty house
with a record-breaking snowfall coming down with big, fluffy
individual snowflakes falling faster and faster.
As the snow swirled outside, I pulled out
The Snowflake, Winter's Secret Beauty,
written by Kenneth Libbrecht and with photography by Patricia Rasmussen,
is a beautiful book filled with hundreds of large photos of snowflakes
to illustrate the science and artistry of snowflake formations.
As the snowstorm continued into the night and
throughout the next day, I bundled up, peered out the windows,
and thought, "The snow is just like a movie snow."
Quietly it fell, hour after hour, creating a hushed landscape.
Bit by bit, the traffic on the roads disappeared,
and all was silent.
All alone I was free to do what I wanted without a schedule.
It was too cold for me to want to build a snowman,
or to go sledding, or to join in a snowball fight.
However, I wanted to experience the magic of the snow,
to enjoy its beauty, and to do something.
As I read through The Snowflake, Winter's Secret Beauty,
I decided to use a magnifying glass to look at snowflakes.
Yes, to look at snow with a little French flair!
Yes, French flair can be used to watch snowflakes.
After all, it was a Frenchman who recorded the
first lengthy mathematical description of snowflake structures.
René Descartes,
French philosopher and mathematician,
a man after my own heart or
am I a woman after his own heart?,
is credited with the earliest detailed account
of snow-crystal structure in 1637.
With just his naked eyes, he observed snowflakes and wrote
...one could as well have described them as little crystal columns, decorated at each end with a six-petalled rose a little larger than their base...
Bundled in a water-proof coat and gloves, I stood at our back French doors
and held my left arm out the door to catch falling snowflakes on the black sleeve.
Then, using the magnifying glass in my right hand, I examined
flake after flake, looking for a
P E R F E C T ❆ S N O W F L A K E
with all six of its sides intact.
Periodically, I closed the door to warm up
and then began anew looking for those perfect snowflakes.
With french flair,
I found one!
One little snowflake stood on edge, rose above my sleeve,
and glistened as I looked at it with the magnifying glass.
One perfect snowflake created a memory of pure, perfect joy.
 |
| Scenes around the house after the two-day snowfall |
For my snowbird blogger friends,
our snowfall is nothing compared to what you receive every winter,
but for several days that winter the world stood still here in North Texas.
If you have never looked at snowflakes with a magnifying glass,
you must do it.
~~~~❦~~~~
~~~~❦~~~~
Life is often hectic with deadlines and with unexpected twists.
Here's hoping February brings some respite from the world.
Please join me at these inspiring sites...
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
Silent Night, Holy Night
In the stillness of the night,
in the stillness of our souls,
we ponder what wondrous glories
have occurred.
A silent, holy night
two millennia ago
ushered in a birth
filled with hope for all.
in the stillness of our souls,
we ponder what wondrous glories
have occurred.
A silent, holy night
two millennia ago
ushered in a birth
filled with hope for all.
My gift to you...
Seven days of Christmas sayings and images...
The beauty of
*~... Christmas ... ~*
Silent Night, Holy Night
Silent night, Holy night
All is calm, all is bright,
'Round yon virgin mother and child
Holy infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace.
Silent night, Holy night
Shepherds quake, at the sight
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing Hallelujah.
Christ the Savior is born,
Christ the Savior is born.
Joseph Mohr and Franz Gruber, Silent Night
❦
~~~~~~~~~~
Please join me at these inspiring sites...
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
Thursday, December 19, 2013
I'll Be Home For Christmas
Christmas means time for family gatherings.
Time for coming together
to laugh, to reminisce, to share.
Time together
to renew bonds, to meet new family members,
to worship, to reaffirm loyalties, and
to express love.
Time for coming together
to laugh, to reminisce, to share.
Time together
to renew bonds, to meet new family members,
to worship, to reaffirm loyalties, and
to express love.
My gift to you...
Seven days of Christmas sayings and images...
The beauty of
Seven days of Christmas sayings and images...
The beauty of
*~... Christmas ... ~*
I'll Be Home For Christmas
I'll be home for Christmas
You can plan on me
Please have snow and mistletoe
And presents on the tree
Christmas Eve will find me
Where the love light gleams
I'll be home for Christmas
If only in my dreams
~ Kim Gannon, Walter Kent, Buck Ram, "I'll Be Home For Christmas"
❦
You can plan on me
Please have snow and mistletoe
And presents on the tree
Christmas Eve will find me
Where the love light gleams
I'll be home for Christmas
If only in my dreams
~ Kim Gannon, Walter Kent, Buck Ram, "I'll Be Home For Christmas"
❦
~~~~~~~~~~
Please join me at these inspiring sites...
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Snow comes to north Texas,
but not regularly every winter.
Some years there is no snow, but
many winters we have ice storms.
Often what looks like snow is really ice.
Garden Shed Snowy Scenes
look like there is a small accumulation of snow
on which we should be able to easily walk.
Looks are deceiving.
This is frozen snow with ice.
For over two days, I could not even walk on my deck.
Too slippery with no traction.
Don't even think about driving.
The garden shed looks serene,
and the snow/ice creates a
Christmas feeling in the air.
Schools are closed, church services are canceled, Christmas parades are postponed,
my Country French Christmas sale is closed for this weekend,
and the rest of the nation makes fun of Texans as being
afraid of a little snow and as not knowing how to drive in snow.
Oh, if only this were snow.
Do you see any footprints on the garden shed porch?
I walked, slid around on it, but there are no footprints.
Walking on ice doesn't create footprints.
I could not get inside through these doors
because the ice would not budge enough for me to squeeze inside,
and the ice/snow drift was just high enough
that the door would not open over the top of the ice.
I went through the door on the north side that opens inward.
Opening the French door a little from the inside,
I hung the greenery-filled basket on the door
and began taking photos.
Any blogger worth her byline cannot pass up an
opportunity to take winter wonderland photos.
The snow/ice storm hit in the wee hours of Friday morning,
and it was Saturday afternoon before I was able to navigate the slippery ice
from my backdoor to the garden shed.
A couple of times I stepped onto the first step out the backdoor,
then immediately turned around and went back inside.
The new greenhouse is beautiful, but,
oh so cold....
Brrr...
Everything comes to a standstill.
Painting projects for Christmas decorations cannot take place.
Instead, how about cutting greenery?
All summer I have watched the blue juniper trees with delight.
All over the area, the trees are loaded with the biggest crop of blue berries
that I have ever seen in thirty-five years living in the area.
The berries are the perfect shade of bleu to go with my house's colors.
All summer I have envisioned all the beautiful natural arrangements
for Christmas decorations.
My first attempts at cutting branches are disappointing.
The branches are covered in ice, my hands inside my gloves are freezing,
and the branches are very hard to cut.
No giving up.
After maneuvering the slippery ice on the ground
and finding some branches with less ice than others,
I cut a few branches.
Into the garage they go...
to thaw overnight...
Now, onto those small Charlie Brown cedars planned
for crocks in the house as more Christmas greenery...
No cutting the little cedar trees today.
Indiana Jones, my adventuresome cat,
is not content to stay inside sleeping.
He insists on investigating the snow and ice with me.
He is too funny to watch as he tries to avoid walking on the frozen white stuff.
Back inside,
Lazarus, my sister's cat, and I sit by the fire and enjoy the
Christmas feeling in the air.
❦
~~~~~~~~~~
Please join me at these inspiring sites...
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
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