busy lives...

In a world that seems to spin faster each day, I've found it
helps me to slow down that pace a bit by enjoying some quiet, simple pleasures.

With winter's sub-zero nights (and even some days) here in the Midwest, I think about what country ladies who lived here long ago might have busied themselves doing this time of year.
They would have most certainly knitted, quilted, and mended during the long winters. A friend and I went to a yarn shop yesterday...she's teaching me to knit a shawl. Visiting the shop and seeing all the beautiful yarns inspired me to not only start (and finish!) my shawl, but to dust off my loom and complete a project that's been waiting on it for much too long.

When the kids come inside from snow-day fun, they warm up, then often settle in with board games, Go-Fish, or checkers. These games are a welcome break from the many electronic, and somewhat noisy, ones that seem to be everywhere.

Baking cookies or brownies, the aroma of a simmering stew,
or buttery homemade rolls are delicious ways to enjoy a wintry day. Handed-down recipes, handwritten on tattered index cards, hold special meaning, and it warms my heart to prepare them.

Hmmm, well my to-do list is still long, but I think for now I'll just sit a little closer to the fire and write some more. As I write,
the wind is whistling outside, but I'll pause now and then,
enjoy the warmth of the fire, and think about the country ladies who must have sat in this same spot over the last 147 years.

I'll also dream about how warm & cozy that new shawl is going to be...after all, anyone who's lived in an old house, knows that if the wind is whistling outside, some of it is sneaking inside!