February!

     I always hate February, it seems the dreariest month of the year.  And I've had my share of dreary events in February.  This is not the first death.  For Eliyah's Father has died mysteriously at the age of 60.  I felt helpless watching the family grieve.  Of course, everything is the same here on the days he comes and I think that is what I can do.  Just be the same.

     Even my new teapot candle-holder seems sad!  Of course that's only from one point of view!

     A couple of weeks ago some juicy oranges arrived by UPS, a total surprise to me.  With them came two large plastic bibs!  And believe me you need them when you eat these oranges!

 I have finally put away almost all things Christmas and made a matching brown tablecloth for the dining table.

I like to put spring flowers out in the midst of winter!  But I'm sorry to say that the tablecloth is now obliterated by the work on the "Long Winter" scene.

 First I tried to corral everything in the new orange box.

 But that soon proved inadequate.

 These chairs have been rejected on the basis of style and also being a little bit too large.  We are using 1/4 scale.  If you look carefully in the large basket you will see the knitting needles Bill has made for Ma to knit with.  I am looking for very fine yarn to start the knitting with.

My daughter Jude has offered to make the heads for each of the characters.  Samples and photos and measurements are being gathered to mail to her.  Looks like I might need that Zen book too!
     I am anxiously watching to see if my orchid, which my daughter-in-law gave me two years ago is going to bloom by Valentine's Day.  It didn't bloom at all last year.  Then when we went to May's Green house the clerk there advised me to use more water.  And not ice cubes at all.  Three cubes melted down to 1/3 cup so I increased to 1/2 cup once a week,(on Sundays) and now it has some 7 or 8 buds.  I am ridiculously excited.  I don't have a green thumb and having something bloom seems like an unexpected gift!