Very Cold Week Coming Up

    We have been spoiled for a few years here in SW Missouri with mostly light winters, snows that don't stick around forever, and not allot of ice.  This year my area has gotten slammed with ice (we just missed it) a little snow not allot really, but very very dreary and gloomy this winter, with very few days of any sunshine.

   This week will be brutal-in the minus degrees f. With high temps in the low single digits f.  Over the weekend we got about 2 inches of snow-no worries except there is ice under the snow. Getting up to the mail box can be a big challenge with ice-up the numerous steps and then up the pretty steep driveway to get to the mailbox.  Well it is winter after all and most of you are probably laughing right now with much worse conditions.😀

    The steep driveway is a new one for me, I have always done the snow shoveling if it needs it-Husband is not in good enough health for it. I don't mind really, gets me outdoors right now. I was really sliding on the hill this morning so I needed to dig out my 40 year old snow boots that Larry bought me when we first got married. I didn't own a decent pair at the time and we lived in northern Illinois for many years before retirement. (very cold and lots of snow there) 

   These boots are very warm and I did have good traction on the hill. That is some ice melt in the bucket-I am not that crazy about using this product, being so close to the lake, so once I run out of it am going to use plain salt like ice cream salt instead.

   Last week I did get my package from the Etsy store with a variety of needles to choose from. I probably went overboard but I needed some nicer needles for the wool applique project too. I picked up a new leather thimble as well-it sits low on your finger and you push the needle with the flat of your finger.  I don't wear thimbles very often-they drive me crazy haha. But will give this one a go.

   These needles are from Japan and very good quality

   I settled on using the heavier embroidery needles.  I am having a difficult time getting comfortable working on this hand quilting project. With top and bottom layers being quality flannels the quilt is rather thick. (I also had taken the quilt off of the frame and am now working with a very large wooden hoop)   I have taken out my stitches several times now. The animal stencils are not going to work out well for me-so much turning the whole quilt in the large hoop around-it's heavy and cumbersome, and with the thickness of the layers not getting good looking stitches around the animals. 

   So after several attempts I scrapped that idea, and have gone to straight stitches within each block. On the 4 patch blocks I am doing horizontal lines and then the block next to it up and down lines. Perhaps an x in the large blocks. Once I get a rhythm going, I think it will work out. I still have to turn after each row to go back the other direction but with straight lines will be easier, more even stitches and look nicer.  

   I have needed to let this project set a bit as I was getting frustrated with it.

   Over the weekend I made another one of our favorites-keto NY Cheesecake. This morning I cooked up a batch of keto vanilla ice cream so we'll have ice cream in the freezer again. I will churn that this afternoon.

  With the dreary days here we have not seen many sunrises as they were being covered with the clouds. Yesterday though we had a bright sunrise.

  Since it was so cold I took these photos from indoors through the large window-I have not had a warm enough day lately to wash the outside of those windows.

  This was such a very bright sunrise which we do not see that often as it comes up

  After a couple hours we were back to the sun being hidden behind the thick cloud cover.

   I made a big pot of northern white beans and ham over the weekend as well. I found one more package of ham chunks in the freezer. I added lots of different herbs, a bay leaf, and a big handful of dried onions. Perfect for a cold wintry week.

   I am really enjoying writing to my new pen pals, and finding snail mail in my mailbox-makes me smile. If anyone else would like to be pen pals or exchange cards through out the year you can contact me through my contact link on my page. and just a note to my pen pals over the pond I have mailed some out last week don't know how long it will take to get to you.

  Have a good new week-stay warm and safe-Hugs from the Lake

Found this image online