Winter is almost over???

 I can't believe that my last post was back in November?

Well, Chino has settled in well here and is a lovely companion.  He truly loves people and is so easy to have around - as long as I don't mind getting a bit more exercise.  Settling in, he did quite a coat drop and I have continued the habit formed of vacuuming every day.  Now it isn't so much for hair as for all the bits and grunge that he brings in with him from the lawn!

He loves the kids

He always wants to be with me, even in the sewing room.

Walks are the best.

Lounging out the the lawn, here amidst the drain hoses that the kids drug all around...

He needs to learn NOT to play with Mom's yarn....
He made a real mess of this skein...

Cuddling on the sofa with Dad and Archie.

He is very interested when animals come on TV.
Jim wishes he was more interested in watching tennis...

This was one of the coldest snow days. He did not like wearing his snow/rain suit.
This was when the snow was deepest and the temps coldest - below 0*F.

Which brings me to another topic - our winter weather.  This year has been so very different from last! We did not get any measurable snow until after New Year's and the grandkids are very grateful that it dropped just before winter break was over.  They had a couple of grand days of playing in snow in temps just below freezing before the "real winter" hit....  the temperatures dropped to well below 0*F for over a week.  It even delayed school starting back up after the holiday break, because it was too cold for kids to wait for the bus (and I'm sure the fuel bill for the schools was another factor).  By the end of January the deep chill was over and the temps have been up in the bearable to nice range ever since.  We got our January thaw and everything was melted clear so I could walk again, but it has snowed again in February - just enough to make a mess of the roads and sidewalks and not really enough for a good outdoor play. Now we are all melted off again and yesterday I even walked to meet DGS the eldest from school.

Of course we had a lovely holiday season.  DS the Younger came out for Thanksgiving, sans fiance as she was not free for the long weekend.  I was so nice of her to encourage him to come out to be with us, anyway.  He stayed for the full 4 days and added travel days at either end, so it was a good time.

DH's birthday was on Thanksgiving, so since DS the Younger was traveling that day, we had Birthday celebration on Thursday.

With plenty of family cosiness.

Thanksgiving was celebrated on Friday, at DS the Elder's house. Our family may be small, but lack nothing in the food, drink and cooks categories....

To help us enjoy the Holiday season, we did some festive things...

Outdoor decorations

A concert at Washington Pavillion

Making Christmas cookies

And then Christmas came with an easy supper after Christmas Eve mass.

Christmassy supper

Christmas morning breakfast

New games in the afternoon...

And a dinner later.

And then came January...

There's the missing snow....

Some days were warm enough to play outside.

The snow mountain to climb over toget to the car at school.

Only a few hoar-frosty days...

I did quite a bit of sewing....

Someone needed a coat

I FINALLY  finished this center piece for a quilt

And got the whole thing assembled!

And then one day I finally got inspired to do some decluttering.  I sorted out all the things I wanted most and fit them into one display cupboard.

Yes, it is quite full...

But this one is now empty and sold away.

And a few things I let go....
I never use them.

Chino has made himself at home here and has settled in quite well.

New toys from Sam

All groomed neatly about every 10 days.

And that has us caught up to late February.