"I started photographing my domestic world and writing not just about what I had made,
but why I made it, examining the thoughts that accompany creativity and the act of making."
Jane Brocket from The Gentle Art of Domesticity p. 189 UK edition

Thursday, January 22, 2015

Shades of Winter

We are enjoying white, pink tinged Apple Blossom Amaryllis blossoms and the last glory of our red Poinsettia.
The blossoms are so heavy I found the stalwart green stem bent in half one morning!  : (
Then I discovered that the green and brown palm trees from the Fisher-Price Nativity set are able to prop up the stem.
Can you see them? : )
My youngest son and I fiddled with the electric stove and coaxed it to warmly glow orange and gold with new light bulbs.
This pretty scarlet and green Cyclamen plant was purchased for my youngest daughter to cheer her as she recovers from hip surgery.
Knitting this alpaca, silk cowl feels like I am knitting a soft warm, fluffy, silvery cloud.
When Teresa and I came out of the gym pool one day, recently, Mt. Hood was outstandingly snowy white against blue gray clouds.
Our confused Camellia bush is producing these gorgeous pink and white Springtime blossoms.
Usually this bush starts blooming in late February, so we are getting an early treat seeing the pretty pink contrasting against the deep evergreen leaves of the bush.
 Mt. Hood was glowing goldenly from Jonsrud overlook near Sandy, Oregon, just before sunset recently.
After the Seattle Seahawks won their last football game my oldest daughter took this photo with her iPhone of a muted winter rainbow we saw out my window.
A few days ago I received this lovely card and felt stitched heart shaped Valentine pin from my sweet friend, Betsy.  My basket full of rainbow colored yarn seemed a good background to perch the card and pin on to show you.  I bought the cotton yarn in this basket on sale from Lyon Brand Yarn a few months ago and am enjoying single crocheting around  35 chains to form a double thickness rainbow colored pot holder. 

The new year has found me occupied fighting off a cold for a week, involved with my youngest daughter's out patient surgery on her left hip, reading material for a class on Eastern Orthodox history, exploring the use of the word "secret" in Scripture, helping to keep my living space tidy, celebrating my oldest son-in-law's birthday, swimming less than usual, and doing a little knitting and crocheting, too.  I re-read some of Women's Work: the first 20,000 years, by Elizabeth Wayland Barber, that Annie has been reviewing on her blog, but in general I feel I am behind on EVERYTHING, including post reading.  However, the shades of winter around me stop me in my tracks...to behold beauty in the moment.   I am grateful God created it! I am recharged by it!  I want to replicate it! I want to share it!

How are the shades of winter affecting you?

29 comments:

  1. Hi Gracie - Lovely photos, as always. I love your amaryllis - It must make you smile every time you walk into the room. Any chance that you can rest for a bit and try to shake that cold? Seems like you have a lot on your plate right now. Take good care of yourself.

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  2. Hi my friend! I enjoyed your post.. full of pretty and happy things. I can't wait to see your cowl up close! That is one gorgeous amaryllis! I'm so glad you got that image of a glowing white Mt. Hood against the dark sky.. awesome! See you tomorrow at the pool? ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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  3. Hi there my friend, I just love all of your flowers shining your home with their beautiful colors. The cowl seems to be working perfectly and I just love the vibrant colors on the potholder you are making... So happy. And of course Mt. hood is as beautiful as ever. Hope you enjoy your swimming with Teresa tomorrow. Have a good weekend my friend.

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  4. Hello sweet Gracie. I so enjoyed your post tonight. From the trees propping up your amaryllis, (yes I see them), to your basket of gorgeous yarn, each photo told a beautiful story. I thought you must be busy since I haven't seen you online lately. I hope the cold is disappearing quickly, that's not a fun way to start the year...and neither is your daughter's surgery. Prayers for a quick healing of both. I miss you Gracie.
    Blessings,
    Betsy

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  5. Great post Gracie! I absolutely LOVE that amaryllis--such beautiful colors on it! LOL--yep I see that part of your nativity set doing double duty:) Hope your daughter's recovery is going well and that no more colds find their way to you! Beautiful camellia, heart gift and Mt Hood--so love that mountain and appreciate it when you post pictures of it!
    Blessings,
    Aimee

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  6. Such an uplifting post full of promise for things to come. The colours of the basket of yearn and potholder were a real delight such beautiful colours. Take care.

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  7. Lovely pictures that have brightened my day xxx

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  8. Hi Gracie, I hope you are feeling better soon and that your daughter's recovery time is brief. You live in such a pretty part of the country. Ohio has it's own beauty, but I do miss the mountains from where I'm from. Your fireplace looks so inviting with your wing back chairs. Wishing you a great start to your weekend. Take care, Heather

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  9. I enjoyed seeing the pics! Keep yourself warm, you are very busy. I have never tried those kind of circular needles.

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  10. Beautiful to see all the shades of winter. MT Hood looks magnificent too! Sarah x

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  11. What a glorious range of colour you have around you this winter, Gracie. Your home always looks so cosy and inviting. x

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  12. Beautiful post Gracie and such lovely photo's....mt hood looks magnificent and here it is very hot so helped
    me cool down lol You are very clever being able to use circular needles, I am hopeless xoxo

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  13. You are helping your daughter and that is the most important thing to do right now. There is time for swimming, classes and reading, your daughter needs you and you are rising to the occasion Gracie. I love your view behind the camera, you see the world as a beautiful place and let us see it that way too.
    Hugs,
    Meredith

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  14. What beautiful photos of Mt Hood (thank you!) and of your winter amaryllis and wools and other treasures. January here has been fairly challenging but like the earth itself I am turning my face towards the sun and brighter days to come! It's also a time of reflection and gathering in, which is very good.

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  15. P.S. I meant to send my best wishes for your daughter's recovery, and of course for you. I'm sure you must be a huge help to her just now. X

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  16. I love your beautiful amarylis, they're so striking. I think they're poisonous to cats so I can't have them anymore :(

    Your rainbow pot holder's off to a great start from what I can see. Good sale hunting :-)

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  17. Lovely to catch up with what is going on with you! Mount Hood is really spectacular, I always in awe of such things.

    Love the amaryllis scaffolding ;) and hope you and your daughter are feeling much better.

    Isnt Betsy a sweetheart, I received a sweet brooch and card also yesterday.

    Helenxx

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  18. It sounds like you've been very busy, Gracie. I hope all is going well with you and your family. I enjoyed seeing your photos and reading about what you've been up to lately. That potholder is going to be so pretty and cheerful in your kitchen. I hope you have a good week.

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  19. Hope your cold is not too bad Gracie. You have shared so many lovely photos in this post. Mount Hood looks stunning and I hope your Camellia keeps flowering to cheer the winter days.
    Stay cosy
    Jacquie x

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  20. hello Gracie and sorry to hear you have been/are unwell. I suffered just after Christmas. I have had a busy few days as my Mum has been visiting. DH and I had to collect her and bring her to our home and then to my son's to celebrate her birthday, back to our house and then back to her home. A round trip of 800 miles. We are feeling a little weary now. It has been quite cold here but sunny today. Your photos are beautiful. Hope you are soon better. Take care, hugs Anne x

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  21. The flowers are gorgeous! Looks like you have done a great job raising them. We've had no success with poinsettias--when friends give them to us it's basically the same as the poor flowers getting a death sentence...and we can't seem to figure out why. Love your shot of Mt. Hood, and I hope your daughter has a rapid and easy recovery from hip surgery. I hope you get well also! It's no fun to have a cold. God bless! :)

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  22. Beautiful pictures here, Gracie, I love the colourful flowers and yarn in your basket, lots of bright shades to cheer up the winter days. So glad your son got your fire sorted out, it does look so nice and cosy. I hope your daughter is recovering well, and I am sure she is so glad of your wonderful support. Take care and keep cosy.
    Helen xox

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  23. That is a gorgeous amaryllis, and a very pretty camellia. I've been enjoying snowdrops and mini daffs today ... I picked a little pot of each up at a local village store earlier.

    Healing wishes to your daughter after her surgery x

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  24. WOW. That's all I can say for the photos of Mt. Hood. I miss that mountain! So much snow this year!
    Shades of my winter---oddly, it has been an autumn palette as I knit through some old wool skeins, making hats for a charity. I'll post photos soon.

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  25. Hello my dear Gracie, it's so lovely to be catching up with you and your family and seeing what's been happening in your part of the world. I do hope your daughter recovers quickly from the hip surgery - you are such a wonderful Mum and helper to so many! I am amazed at that pic of Mt Hood after your 'pool time' with Teresa - it's like something fantastical just sitting there in the midst of dreamworld! A wonderful post as usual - your beautiful camellia, and knitting - you know I still can't get away with knitting on those needles!
    Thank you so much for your beautiful message on my latest post, and if you have time do please pop back and see the comments my daughter has made to, and about, you! Love and blessings to you and your loved ones, Joy xo
    PS My reply as posted (you are a 'no reply' blogger so I can't automatically reply!) "Ah Gracie, you're always so beautiful and bring your lovely energies to work their wonders in your kind thoughts and words: a big thank you! I hope to catch up real soon and in the meantime wishing you and yours blessings also xoJ"

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  26. Hello dear Gracie!

    Your beautiful blog post has given me a welcome interlude from my flu-ridden household. There is so much I could comment on but I don't quite have the energy today!

    I will instead leave you with a hug.

    Stephanie x

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  27. Loved this beautiful post! I am inspired to look for colors everywhere as we head into the beginning of the end of winter here. Hugs and love to you! Praying that you are up and feeling better now! *hugs* :)

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  28. A lovely post. :) Oh I adore the flowers, so very pretty. I am looking forward to future posts about the cowl. Thank you for the comment you left on my blog, but you are still a no reply blogger. I think I have a fix for you. If you go into your blogger profile...make sure your e-mail address is there, and then also make sure you have checked the "show my email address" box, if this box is not checked, then you will be a no reply blogger. The way to access your profile is to click on "Design" in the upper right hand corner of your blog after you sign in, then once you are into "design" then in the upper right you should see the name of your blog, click the down arrow next to your name, then a box will pop up, in that box you click on "Blogger profile" this will take you to your profile page, then click the "Edit Profile' button in the upper right...go to where it says, "show my email address" and then click that box. It should also say next to it what email you have it set to. As long as you have the box checked and an email address where it is set to, you will no longer be a no reply blogger. Hope this helps. Blessings always :)

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  29. É Páscoa! Cristo está vivo, o túmulo está vazio, Ele ressuscitou!!! A mais bela festa dos Cristãos.
    Crentes no Amor de Deus Pai que nos deu seu Filho Jesus Cristo que permanece conosco pela força do
    Espírito Santos, seguimos nossa caminhada na construção de um mundo mais justo, fraterno, humano,
    harmonioso e de doação.
    Todos somos promotores da Paz!
    Feliz, Santa e Abençoada Páscoa.
    Um doce abraço, Marie.

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