Another sneak peek at my newest creation (this from the back) -- I haven't found the right buttons yet. :)

Love how the blues and whites of the sky are mirrored here.

Things aren't as vivid in the winter, but they sure have a glory of their own!

Helping to make pizza!

Winter evenings are great for playing Legos...

...and planning what landscaping one will do come Spring!

See how the "teepee" is upside-down in the water drops?

Talking on the phone with Beth! :) :) Which is always such fun!

More Legos...


Sunset

And the same sunset 30 minutes later (note the sliver of a moon?)! It's turned more pink and yellow...


Clear Skies After Rain...

Then, after days of lovely drizzle, the clouds broke up in great masses of white and silver...

...and the scintillating azure sky came out in full glory.

Sherlock Holmes crossword

More fun playing in the pond!

Stephen is really into stuffed animals right now :)

A Victorian-look hairstyle

Hole in Heaven ;)

And... my newest sewing project! I discovered this pattern (from the 70's) online, and really liked all the detailing. So imagine my delight when I found it on eBay for $5! 

The pattern was in great condition, surprisingly, and I feel I know a bit of the precise nature of the person who used this pattern by the care with which she (whoever she was :) cut and then neatly refolded them. :)

You can see here why this is called a "couturier" pattern! It was by far the most difficult thing I've ever attempted, and I didn't have my (former) resident seamstress (Beth) to refer questions to! But it really all came together, and wasn't achingly difficult. :)

The fabric I chose...

Pinned for hand-sewing in the lining...

If anyone's interested, I may show a picture of the finished dress -- right now I still have to find the perfect buttons.

This spider was leisurely letting himself down from a ceiling fan...

That's all for now! Thank you for joining me!

A New Year Dawns...

Brilliant

The King and his Sceptre

Light frost -- so delightful!

Stephen's Birthday!

Seven years old!


Preparing for Charades... ;)

Homemade Rainbow Sherbet was his birthday choice! 

Mom & I saw this loppity armadillo on our afternoon walk -- it was rooting in the loose leaves of a fence-row. They're really so uniquely odd!

A really thick (and really lovely) frost!


Piano lessons!

Art? or a budding petroglyph artist's practice sheet?

And a fun bday present! :)


The following words are taken from "In Which Piglet is Entirely Surrounded by Water," by A.A. Milne :)  -- they seemed to go with the pictures. :) We've had lots of lovely rain, tho' not as much as the story:

"Christopher Robin lived at the very top of the Forest. I rained, and it rained, and it rained, but the water couldn't come up to his house. It was rather jolly to look down into the valleys and see the water all round him, but it rained so hard that he stayed indoors most of the time,  and thought about things.

"Every morning he went out with his umbrella and put a stick in the place where the water came up to, and every next morning he went out and couldn't see his stick any more, so he put another stick in the place where the water came up to, 

"and then he walked home again, and each morning he had a shorter walk than he had had the morning before.

"On the morning of the fifth day he saw the water all round him, and knew that for the first time in his life he was on a real island. Which was very exciting."

... "'Now then, Pooh,' said Christopher Robin, 'where's your boat?'
'I ought to say,' explained Pooh as they walked down to the shore of the island, 'that it isn't just an ordinary sort of boat. Sometimes it's a Boat, and sometimes it's more of an Accident. It all depends.'
'Depends on what?'
'On whether I'm on the top of of it or underneath it.'"

;)

And the rest of the E's visit

The next morning, the snowman has melted to a different shape -- almost like a full-skirted lady!


It's so utterly marvellous when your relatives are your best friends!!!!

Mid-morning, a game of Risk is begun... to finally end after dinner! :)

Love the smiles!

"How to play Canasta in one easy lesson"

Daniel & I watching the slow progression of the Risk game

Two different games going on at once. It's rather a sad fact that so many games are only for 6 or less players!

 Singing with joy to the Lord...

Starting the game "One Big Happy Family"

One team...

...another team confabulates...

...while a third whispers team secrets. :)

An amusing tale :)

All the children!

We took this before the E.'s left. We were so very sad to see them go! :( We were delighted, though, that Beth&Erich were able to stay one more day!

Andrew was so sweet to play games with Stephen!

More Canasta... Erich has caught the Wahlquist enjoyment of Canasta! :)

It's so lovely just to sit and visit as a family!

(by the way, Deborah made the "Happy New Year's" sign :)


Making sure Beth's roses are all stowed securely for the trip down to San Antonio. They spent a cold morning digging them up, and will plant them along their lovely new walkway at their house!


Goodbye, Beth&Erich!!! We look forward to seeing you again!!!