Frozen

Frozen. No, not the new kid's animated movie.  The weather this past week!  It was COLD, people!  Crazy cold.  Below frozen!

 Many places north of here, had it far worse than we did in western North Carolina.  I know that.  I also know that the "polar vortex" (as they are calling it - whoever they are, and whatever that) was plenty bad enough down this way.

Our low was negative one.  That didn't count the wind chill, which made that negative one degree air feel as if it were negative twenty-two.  And people living up on the mountain tops got even colder.

 Yeh... it was cold.

Cold enough to cancel schools.

Cold enough that there were ice crystals on the inside of some of our windows.

Cold enough to freeze our pipes.  Unlike sooooo many other people, we somehow managed to avoid any of them bursting and causing a huge flooding mess when they began to thaw. (praise God!)

Cold.

Now, before y'all start thinking I am just complaining here I have to tell you a little secret.  I don't mind the cold all that much. Especially since I am blessed to have a nice warm house and a comfy couch to cuddle up on while I watch TV, read or crochet, and a nice new Keurig to pump out warm beverages at the touch of a button.  I actually deal much better with cold than I do with extreme heat.   So, no... I'm not complaining.  I'm just sayin' - It was COLD!

If I was going to complain about anything related to this cold weather, it would be that if it's going to be that cold it could at least give us a little pretty snow to look at.  But, alas, no snow - just cold

And don't worry about us eventually freezing or anything.  It's already warming up.  (warming up being a relative term here) This weekend it's supposed to be in the mid to upper 50s.  With plenty of rain to go along with it

Moments In Time: July 1 - 6

The past week in pictures



Sunday July 1:  You can't really see it, but that says 99 degrees.




Monday July 2:  Fresh raspberries, just picked!





Tuesday July 3:   I baked a Lemon-Blueberry cake




Wednesday July 4:  The grand baby's first swim




Thursday July 5:  I had a visitor while sitting on the back porch in the morning




Friday July 6:  My pretty new writing journal



The Perfect Cup for Coffee

I think I need a bigger coffee cup.  Can you still hear me over the sound of my family laughing?  Yes?  Ok, good. 

Here's the thing... 

I'm willing to admit that the coffee cups I use on a regular basis are of decent size.  Some might even consider them more as small soup tureens rather than coffee cups.  I like a little weight to my mug. 

And yet, the darn things still seem to get empty far too quickly.  And if they aren't drained at a rapid speed, then the coffee gets cold. 

So what I really need is a nice large mug.  I'm thinking about the size of half the coffee pot.  I think that should do it.  That's about the amount I probably drink each morning anyway.

And I need one that keeps the coffee at a nice steady temperature - not hot enough to burn the mouth, but put sufficiently warm enough not to be well... bleh! 

You coffee drinkers know what I'm talking about, right?

Summertime, and The Livin' Is Easy

It seems like the rest of the country is being ravaged by extreme heat, wildfires, extreme storms, and torrential rain - which almost makes this feel like bragging.  As if I am pouring salt into their meteorological wounds.  But I have to say it anyway:  the weather here has been absolutely gorgeous the past few days.  Bright, sunny, a few afternoon showers, and temperatures in the 70's.

See?  Blue skies.  Puffy white clouds

Awesome day!  I couldn't wait to get my clothes out on the line for some fresh air.  And my new chair canvases came from World Market, so I am more than ready for a little reading on the porch time!

Anyone else see the Loch Ness Monster cloud?  Anyone?

I am so excited for summer to be here!  The Little Man's last day of school is tomorrow.  And I get a visit with my sister, nieces, and mother next week.

It's going to be a good summer!  I can already tell.