January and February this year have been cold, at least for Florida. Our usual temps alternate from 45 in the morning to 65 or 70 degrees mid-afternoon. This winter has been an exception: 20 days freezing (or below) in January and at least one near-freezing day in February. Depending on where you live, these temperatures during cold seasons are hardly worth a mention.
A few of the snapshots below have an icy tone to them, except of course, the stew bubbling on the stove and the book review, a hot one (Propaganda Girls)
Rain has finally come in mid-February after a drought. Maple tree branches have begun to bulge with blossoms. In a week or two, trumpet-shaped azalea blooms will blast pink and fuchsia color all over our neighborhood. Spring will follow. Soon!
Blue Tarp
In January, we covered patio plants: peace lily, poinsettia, the brilliant “red sister” plant. Herbs thyme and rosemary made it through. But the other flowers are still “in recovery.” Because of the high winds that sneaked under the tarp, hibiscus have looked forlorn in February, Will they make it?
The landscapers who maintain the garden areas of our community used white, lightweight plant covers in advance of the freeze. The covers admit sunlight and air, but protect flowers from damage. We invested in those for next year.
A Vignette
We stayed indoors. A lot! I paid closer attention to pictures and photos on the wall, ones I’d normally ignore because I’ve seen them so often. This icy snap originally from our son’s portfolio is a case in point. A vase of coral from Cliff’s snorkeling in Key West and a mint & eucalyptus infuser round out the trio.
Art Studio
The artist in our family had time to sort through stuff in his studio, sometimes making interesting discoveries. “Where did this come from?” he wondered.
Long Married Couple
In early February, we attended the funeral of out son-in-law’s father.
After the service, lunch was served in an adjoining hall. I spotted this framed photo on the wall of the serving space. In the picture, an unknown (to me) elderly couple clasp hands on the family Bible before they eat slices of homemade bread & jam with orange halves. A sacred breakfast.
Homemade Soup
Making soup Is a perfect activity for chilly weather. Starting with a bag of lentils, I brewed lentil soup slow and long, adding onion, carrots, celery, a few bay leaves, and a squeeze of lemon to finish. It was authentic soup, not the semi-homemade stew I made in October and described here.
The Reading Duo
I read, a lot.
So does my husband. However, he reads with his ears; I, with my eyes. We’ve never read the same book–at (almost) the same time before. While I turned the pages of a book in print, he saw the story emerge with images his ears sent to his mind and imagination. Audio book versus print book. Take your pick.
The Book? Propaganda Girls. You can find my review on Goodreads HERE
Grandson Playing Tuba
Our youngest grandson has played the tuba since he was in junior high. Now he is a high school senior–only one more concert in April to go.
Music is the secret language that effortlessly connects our bodies, our minds, and our souls. ~ Hope Alcocer
A Very Bear-ish Tea Party
Queen Elizabeth I| and Paddington Bear shared a pre-recorded, delightful tea party at Buckingham Palace for her Platinum Jubilee in June 2022. The 96-year-old Queen and the animated bear bonded over a [mutual] love of marmalade sandwiches, which both produced from their respective handbags.
After Valentines’ Day, my dining room table seemed bare. So what did I do? Made a very bear-ish display. Without tea in cups, and, of course, without the Queen.
Fun fact: Great Aunt Ruthie made teddy bears, now vintage, for each of her grand nieces and nephews. This one landed at my house, not sure when or why.
Simultaneous Reading and Sleeping
The caption to the forwarded photo said this, “My wife is such an avid reader she can read with her eyes closed.”
True story: If I read in bed at the end of the day, I often fall asleep, drop the book, and lose my place. “This time, I apparently fell asleep for several minutes, so I’m told, yet the book didn’t fall. I literally fulfilled the excuse “I wasn’t sleeping. I was just resting my eyes!”
What am I reading now? Elif Shafak’s There are Rivers in the Sky. If you’re curious, you can read a brief summary HERE.
The story tracks a single drop of water across centuries, linking a 19th-century Londoner, a 2014 Yazidi girl, and a modern hydrologist (AI Overview from The Guardian.)
How have you coped with the weather this season?
Do you prefer audio or print books? Do you ever fall asleep as you read?
Any cooking or baking experiences to share?
Good morning, Marian! A lovely variety of photos and thoughts. I read print books, and I prefer “real” books over ebooks. I liked “There are Rivers in the Sky” very much. It was a “Merril book,” with beautiful poetic language and multiple time lines. 😊
I always read in bed before I go to sleep, so sometimes I do drift off.
Good morning too, Merril. I’m not surprised we have similar reading habits. You and I are both morning people, and night-time is not the ideal time to read. Sometimes I pick up a book in the afternoon, especially if it’s one that feels like a treat.
All good wishes for improving weather where you live and comfort as you remember your sister this week. ((( )))
Great post, as usual. I am in the middle of a murder mystery book, not my favorite genre, but well written and intriguing. I like this book because the chapters are about 3-4 pages long, so that keeps me from falling asleep! I’m also going around to several places sharing my newest book, “A Place in the Fold,” which you helped for me, with your review, etc. I’m enjoying that.
And looking forward to warmer weather this week! Azaleas will be wonderful when they bloom at my daughter’s house in Falls Church, an area where there are many azalea bushes etc. I love it. (I remember when we moved to Florida how I loved the azalea season.) Enjoy!
Lucky for me, my husband is dealing with the unpleasant aspects of the frigid temps and massive dumps of snow, so I can look out the window at the winter wonderland from the nice warm house. I made baked bean soup, which my husband absolutely loved. I’ve never listened to an audiobook. My attention tends to wander when I’m listening. I’ve fallen asleep reading many the time! Like Merril, I always read when I go to bed.
Thanks for this enjoyable romp through your cold Florida winter. Here in Lititz, PA, we had the harshest winter of the last decade for Stuart and me. The snow always came on the weekend, cancelling church services. But we made our own soups and luckily have a community full of busy workers who swept sidewalks and roads as quickly as possible. The only thing that kept us indoors longer than usual was deep cold and blustery winds. We went to Mexico for Christmas, but that warm only lasted for a few days. We head to Arizona next week to find some sunshine and volunteer our time with the SOOP program. I read and enjoyed There Are Rivers in the Sky. In print. But I have The Overstory on audio and revisited Braiding Sweetgrass on Audible. All very good!
Love the photo of you reading with your eyes closed. 😊 Cliff is such a character! 😊
I have heard how cold it’s been out east. Very difficult for Floridians! As for the Midwest, we’ve coped as we always have, since cold weather is normal here. We had some below zero days. I had to go out and start the car, since it is not in a garage.
I prefer print books. I’m reading THE BLETCHLEY RIDDLE by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin. It is an upper middle grade book, but adults and teens like it also. If you like stories of WWII, you will enjoy this! It is about code breaking in England.
What a delightful, whimsical post, Marian! I went back to the other blog post about soup that you mentioned and I had a good laugh at my comment about looking for a cranberry sauce can. I knew I had bought two, but could only find one! There was a reason for it!!
Winter here is wicked! So cold and lots of snow! Hard to believe the end of March is the beginning of spring!