Wintering

 

Tuesday into Wednesday we are expecting snow. We are having a real winter here in Pennsylvania, though I have enjoyed the last few winters which were milder and had very little snow. I prefer that. 

However, I have decide to embrace wintering.

For me this means -

Making tea or hot chocolate and settling in with a good book.

Starting a nice diffuser blend to help my house smell good.

Cooking hot and nutritious meals, to keep us warm from the inside out!

Making my home cozy. We are all still missing the garlands and lights of Christmas, and I am thinking of ways to bring a bit of that special feeling back.

I may knit a bit more this winter.

I've been enjoying some British TV Mysteries.

Well, I am going to go make my bed and eat some breakfast. I think today I may have sliced peaches and cottage cheese!

I still have my cold and I may take a nap later. I hate the thought of it, but I do need more rest than I am getting at night. 

I hope you are all well, and enjoying your winter where ever you are!

I'm beginning to think about my garden, too! It won't be long now!

Morning At The Cottage

 

It's windy this morning, but oh so beautiful! The sun is shining (we had rain again yesterday afternoon and evening), the birds are singing, plants are popping up in the garden!

Watson likes to lay in this old window and look outside. He often just sleeps, but sometimes he makes noises as he watches birds! Over the years he's learned to lay among the doll house toys that the little girls play with here. Over the years, I've learned to leave the toys for a day or so. It's a sweet reminder of this fleeting time in our lives, when girls love to play house.

This console table is handy between the chairs in the living room. My Aldi hydrangea has been watered well, but it looks as if it needs some fertilizer. I'll do that today.

There will be school work today, and then I have a massage this afternoon. This is theraputic massage, dealing with super tight muscles. Not fun, always, but I love my therapist. She's a young mom from our church. Her husband is a chiropractor. I may start to see him next month for some adjustments in the lower back and hip region.

When I am done here on the blog, I will eat and do my study on the book of Revelation. I hadn't studied it for years, and I'm enjoying it so much.

I'm going to take advantage of the quiet I have right now, so I'll talk to you again on Friday.

Have a lovely day.

My CottageCore Home

 Have you ever heard this term?

I have and last night, at my gathering for mom's from our homeschool co-op, one sweet gal said, "I knew it! I knew your home would be magical. It's so CottageCore." I thanked her, her words made my heart sing.

"I like English Cottage style," I said. She commented that she did, too. It really was sweet of her to express those compliments to me. You can find kindreds everywhere, even between a woman closer to 60 than 50, and a woman in her 30's. I'm still smiling.

Of course, my little cottage was looking it's best last night. 

Here are some photos I took this morning.

CottageCore is really an idealized country life. People all over Instagram,  YouTube, and Pinterest show their CottageCore lives.

I smile. I'm finally in style, you know. Hip. Happening. (grin)

I have just lived by the adage of making your home warm and welcoming for your family. Make is cozy. I like ambient lighting, pillows, blankets to wrap up in, candles, my diffuser pumping out scent. I like English style secretaries, my great-grandmother's china hutch, Tiffany style lamps, with red of course, china, silver plate, tea cups. It all makes me happy.

And I love it when guests come over and are immediately comfortable and feel welcome.

Goals accomplished.

I'd love to hear about how you have decorated your home. Do you use family heirlooms? Modern? Farmhouse? Tell me in the comments!

Evening At The Cottage

Last evening, I was grilling hamburgers as it was getting dark.  The skies had been grey all day, but in the photos it looks like l'heure bleue. The cottage looked cozy with the lights shining so I took a few photos.

I don't often see the cottage at night from the outside and I was happy to see that it looks warm and inviting.

Potting Flowers and Growing Tomatoes On The Deck

Yesterday was a glorious weather day.  Sunshine, bluest of blue skies, mild temperature.

It was the perfect day to pot up some plants I bought last week, at Cherry Hill Orchard, but first I need a few pots for my tomatoes, and I needed potting soil.  Rachel and I headed out to Christmas Tree Shops for the pots.

Then to Ken's Gardens for the potting soil I like.

I planted the tomatoes in the new pots, and did a companion planting of Nasturtium Alaska Mix.  I like the nasturtium more than marigolds, and they do a good job repeling bugs. 

I decided to give tomato growing a try this year, but knew I'd need to do it on the deck so that the chickens couldn't get to them.  I'm hoping they grow well!

For my summer look on the deck, I also wanted some pretty flowers in pots.  I love red, and I've also done red, white, and blue on the deck the last few years.

So I went with Calliope (large, dark red) Geraniums, Techno Heat (electric blue) Lobelia, Endurascape (white) Verbena.

I made another pot with the same geranium, but did Megacopa (bacopa white), and Sweet Caroline Sweetheart Lime (sweet potato vine) in it.

After I potted it I placed this pot on the deck railing near the stairs.

Now, I just need to remember to give the a regular drink, if we don't get rain.

We're ready for summer!

Morning At The Cottage

Good Morning from the Cottage!  It's a lovely morning, after a drizzly Sunday and a thunderstorm last night.  The lilacs are so close to blooming!  They are full of blooms this year, and are going to be gorgeous.  This one is right outside our kitchen door!

I found a lovely hydrangea at Aldi on Friday.

I have some tiny daffodils in my garden, and Kamryn picked a few yesterday.  I popped them into this little glass vase from Target's Dollar spot.

I ended up making 10 bunnies on Saturday.

Four are for my grands.  A friend came and got the two white ones and the green floral that is tucked in the corner on the right, for her wee girls. I gave the pink checked one to baby Brielle, who I got to see yesterday!  

That leaves just one green bunny left.  I think I'll take it to my great niece in Florida.  We are headed down there at the end of the month for a mini family reunion.

I took Sarah to work this morning, and when I got home the sun was shining through the sliding doors onto this arrangement on the coffee table.

I'm not sure what this plant is, I got it at the grocery store.  Its a succulent of some kind with wee white flowers.

They look like tiny roses.

We had a lovely Palm Sunday.  We spent the afternoon with friends.  At church our pastor spoke about Heaven: Total Anticipation.  We've been studying in Titus and yesterday he spoke on chapter 2:11-14.

With Easter a week away, he spoke of heaven.  He said as a pastor he has done many funerals and attended them.  He said people say the following things at funerals - 

1. Most people talk about heaven.

2. They believe about heaven in a way that makes them comfortable.

3. Heaven is all friendship based, not God focused. "Now my loved one is with friends and family." (this is not wrong, his point was that most people at funerals speak about this and not that their loved one is with Jesus)

4. Everyone believes their loved one is in heaven.

5. Most people ignore hell.

He shared six things about heaven -  

1. Heaven is a hope.

2. Heaven is a promise.

3. Heaven is a salvation. (it teaches us to say no to ungodliness, and worldly desires, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in the present age)

4. Heaven is a wait. (we wait for the blessed hope.  It whets our appetite for the great and glorious day.

5. Heaven is a time to see Jesus.  

6. Heaven is redemption.  (Chapter 2:14 says - He gave himself for us to set us free from every kind of lawlessness and to purify for himself a people who are truly his, who are eager to do good.

This week we prepare to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus.  It is because of his resurrection that we have the hope of eternal life.  Just as he died, and rose to new life, so we too, can die to ourselves when we trust in Christ's sacrifice for our sin, and we can be raised to new life.  Now that's something to celebrate!

Happy Monday friends!

Scenes From The Cottage

We got 2 1/2 inches of snow Saturday late afternoon into Sunday morning.  The snow is a light powdery snow, and the roads were fine for going to church.

It looks like this outside right now - 

Winter's early darkened sky means that the lights inside glow for more hours and make everything so cozy. 

2018 was a rainy, cloudy year, and so I am enjoying everyday that the sunshines!  It makes every room cheery!

The plants like it, too!

I'm so thankful for the home we have and I take delight in making it cozy and welcoming for our family and friends.  I'm also mindful that this is not where my true treasure lies, but I'm storing up treasure in heaven.  Luke 12:34 says, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."