That great attitude, seeing the glass as full

 

There are people who never

seem to have their glass

any less then completely full. 

I admire that attitude, never

seeing a lack of anything

wonderful in their life.

And I will say that I

wondered if it took massive

amounts of effort, and control

to convince themselves that

they saw it that way. 

But for some people it just

seems to be the way they are

built the way they live their

lives the way they look at the world.

No rose colored glasses needed.

 

 

It’s a wonderful attitude, and I wish more of us could be that way.  Let’s raise a glass to wondering if it just takes time, and experience to achieve that level of happiness, and if we can become like that.

 

 

I have a elderly friend from where we used to live, that has been given a diagnosis of terminal cancer, they can’t do anything.  This isn’t about sadness, her attitude is one of thankfulness that she wakes up each morning. How’s that for amazing.

Even though I had expected the news it was upsetting.  Hoped for the best, heard the worst, where do you go from there? How do you comfort her, what do you say.

I thought maybe she was putting on a brave face for me, but no, she is grateful for everyone of her years, her life, her family, and friends.  She tells me that she has had a good life, and a good time. 

She doesn’t worry about anything, those are her words.

Her faith is strong, and so is her spirit. 

 

 

The world needs more people like her…and I’m grateful that I have this chance to know her.

Have you been fortunate enough to meet some “the glass is full” people in your life, and aren’t they amazing?

 

Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams

Fixing Frankie, and other mundane details

 

 

I know that they don’t

make things like they

used to anymore

but really….

30 days in and Frankie

needs to see a Dr.

Good thing they make

house calls because

there is no way I am

taking my treadmill

in for a visit.

 

 

                                                                      This sounds serious!

 

I guess it’s a good thing we bought the extended warranty, because Frankie has a bit of cha ching, and it’s not from change dropping into our hands…he also groans when the incline goes up.  But then again, so do I.

 

Jen, I’m concerned, you’ve been over working Frankie.

 

Don’t worry Bootsie, there is no chance of that happening…

 

 

Well, if it’s not you, and it’s not me, who could it be?

 

I guess we will find out when the repair man comes to visit…

until then, we wait.  Got any snacks?

 

Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams

When too many of those DUH! moments happen to you

 

We all do it, have a

DUH! moment, a split

second that we are not

monitoring our own

well being and end up

doing something that we

would not normally do….

Like misplacing our wallets

the car keys, or even forgetting

where we parked the car in the

supermarket lot. Maybe it’s

taking one medication and

forgetting the other one.

Or not remembering it’s garbage

day until the truck drives past your house. Letting the pot boil over onto the stove, leaving the tap running,or a light on in a room that is unused for days.

It’s a DUH! moment, and yes that’s Homer Simpson you hear in the background with his trademark DUH!

I’ve had a few too many lately…like the mad money change purse that I “misplaced” for over a week, it held around $20, enough for a good amount of craft supplies, and it was lost.  Big time, in fact the last time I remembered having it in my hand was in a dollar store…and I thought for sure someone else now had a mini windfall.

Then there was the $50 bill a Christmas gift from someone, I put it in a “safe place” you know those places..the kind you tell your husband “remember where I put this for safe keeping, because you know that I won’t remember” and he absent mindedly nods yes while doing something else.  I hide it, and a month later realized that I couldn’t find it.  And he had no idea what I was talking about.

The day I tried to scrub the inside of a glass clean with a long handled dish brush, pushing too hard, for some silly reason thinking that the glass would stretch…it did, as it cracked and cut my thumb open.  Still bandaged over that one.

Too many DUH! moments lately, too many cuts, too many lost items…

How many DUH! moments have you had lately…and can we blame it on winter?

 

Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams

No Winter Whining–Structure in winter

 

 

Welcome to our second week at

No Winter Whining, I’m this weeks

official hostess, and loving it,

please visit Heather’s blog for the

link up. 

Links are at the end of

the post.

So far we have managed

to focus on the bright and beautiful

during winter, effectively taking

our mind off of the sparkling snow

and glimmering icicles that are

adorning our rooftops, and

vehicles.  Well, at least while

we are still cosy and warm in our houses, it’s when we get outside that reality hits.  Hard.It’s cold outside,

brrrrrr. 

 

Who in their right minds would leave the comfort and warmth of their glowing computer screen to venture out into the unknown, frozen north…..east, west or south and take photos? 

Well, us/you of course. After all, this week’s subject is structures in winter.  And one of the only things that will encourage me to get up early, bundle up, and leave the comfort of my computer is ….. barns.

Especially barns with snow on them, or barns in fog, or barns in the morning sun…I’m a barn stalker…yep, my name is Jen, and I am a barn stalker. 

I have a black truck, with black tinted windows…a long lens, and I stalk barns.  Barn-parazzi….want to join in?  I’ve gotten some odd looks from the cows, while wandering down those country roads in my black truck, both windows rolled down in the below zero cold, erratically stopping wayside without warning, it’s a good thing the vehicles are few and far between.

I have my favourites, some I will drive for miles to get a shot of, and some are just around the corner but they are all beautiful in my eyes. Sadly most of them are starting to show their age, and some have fallen victim to the wrath of winter storms…roofless, sun bleached wood skeletons, they are still a remarkable piece of history.

So my choice for structures in winter is barns…may they shelter, and enhance our country landscape forever.

Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams

 

 

Find the link up to this week’s meme, Structures in winter at Heather’s blog, please do join in. 

And if you have not already “liked” us on Face Book we would welcome you with open arms.

Interested in Pinterest?  We have a No Winter Whining board, come and join in the fun, and if you would like to be part of the board email us at nowinterwhining@gmail.com to be added to it.

The weekly winner’s blog post will be posted up there, with a link.  We will also be pinning photos from bloggers that participate in the meme, with a link back to your blogs. 

[If you do not want anything posted just let us know].

 

Jen, Heather, Lynn, and Laura.

 

Brewing tea

 

 

 

“He brewed his tea in a blue china pot, poured it into a chipped white cup with forget-me-nots on the handle, and dropped in a dollop of honey and cream. He sat by the window, cup in hand, watching the first snow fall. "I am," he sighed deeply, "contented as a clam. I am a most happy man.”
― Ethel Pochocki, Wildflower Tea

 

Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams

 

Don’t forget this Sunday’s No Winter Whining,  Structures in winter.

You can find the link at http://thecolorsofmygarden.blogspot.ca/

Jen

 

Winter’s waiting room

 

I’m sitting on a hard chair in

winter’s waiting room,

impatiently crossing and

uncrossing my legs swinging

my feet, and sighing, knowing

that my appointment is

scheduled for a few months

from now, but wondering how

much longer spring is going to

make me wait. 

The receptionist is throwing

me icy glances, as she

discontentedly flips through a

bright summer magazine, and stifles a yawn, her exhale coating the wall with icicles. 

 

 

This is a stark cold room, chilly both in temperature, and decoration the winter light glares off of the cold

counters, white walls, squeaky seats covered in some glossy white fabric, looking for all the world like ice

cubes. Who thought to decorate with snow, and bare branches, cheap that’s what they are…where is the sunshine, and warmth…

I’m sure that down the hall Spring’s waiting room is full of flowers bursting through the walls, birds chirping.

 

 

I’m tired of waiting, I get up and peek through a window towards the parking lot, I can see into Summer’s softly glowing room, I’d much rather be there enjoying myself…but I am here.  In winter’s waiting room, waiting for spring to show up, and take me down the hall.

 

 

It’s a good thing I brought my seed catalogues to read..because I’m going to be spending a long time in winter’s waiting room.

Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams

Pins and needles, felt and wool

 

Apparently needle felting

has been around for a long time

and is steadily increasing in

popularity each day…

Where on earth have I been?

Not doing enough of this fun

and easy craft, that’s for sure.

I guess I was focused on other

things, like photography and

didn’t pay enough attention

until I saw a pin on Pinterest

one day that made my

heart skip a beat, and I

had to find out more about it.

Don’t you love finding new passions, the excitement, the love, the search for supplies?  Only problem is, it’s winter, cold and snowy outside, and the nearest supplies are over a hour’s drive away…which I don’t like.

But I did manage to snag some of those sharp little barbed needles that are so important to needle felting, and some unspun wool that is called roving, near by….I only had a 5 color choices, so I picked pink, and white. Glad I did, it’s such a soft color combo, and a good contrast to the icy blue snow outside.

For now instead of using a piece of upholstery foam, I am using a dishwashing sponge, they are cheap, and plentiful in my house.  If you want to know all about Needle felting, and are wondering what on earth I am talking about, here’s a quick tutorial from blogger Mrs. Polly Rogers who is a very interesting blogger, check her out for yourself.

Click on my Pins, and needles Pinterest board link to see what I have been pinning for inspiration.. Needle felting is used to make so many interesting things, it’s very versatile. I’ve just started to create some fun items and does it ever feel good to have a needle back in my hands.

I made the heart garland, which is perfect to hang in our window for Valentines day, and Bootsie loves it.  And because he likes to jump on my night table and knock things off, I made a eye glass case.  A tiny change purse as a gift for a friend who sent me lots of her wool yarn scraps that I am loving..especially the turquoise colors.

It’s such a good feeling to be creative again…it’s a long winter, and we all need inspiration….what kind of crafts do you do? And are you a needle felter, got any tips for a beginner?

Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams

Juicy

 

Healthy eating isn’t cheap!

But being healthy is priceless.

We all know that you can’t buy

your health, and what we do to

our bodies now, will be our

results later. 

Ah potato chips you will

forever be my nemesis..

So in comes our juicer, we

just got the shiny new

stainless steel quiet as a

church mouse juicer.

In my mind potato chips are

on one side of the teeter totter

and Frankie, and the juicer are on the other side.

 

 

Some day’s I will allow myself to indulge in those crunchy treats, [just a small bowlful] and the tetter totter will drop towards the 20% not the best for you side, and the days I that I eat fully healthy and exercise properly, [that’s where Frankie comes in] the tetter totter goes up on 80% of the good stuff.

Well it works for me…Frankie, and the potato chips.

 

 

Anyways I love juicing…and am experimenting with all sorts of fun combos of fruit and veggies…it’s just so expensive to get them right now, but like I said good health is worth it.

So far we have celery, pear, green pepper, carrot, and apple, a fresh perk you up splash of healthy.  Add some cucumber for a green flavourful treat.

 

 

Then there is my mid winter “I’m in love with this” dark tangerine colored mix of Blood oranges, beets, and ginger which is supposed to be the new super food, bug fighter, and immune booster.

 

 

It can be mellowed out with a bit of cucumber, sweet bell peppers, and carrots…for a totally yum drink.

 

 

So what healthy habits are you picking up lately…and are they starting to stick?

 

Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams

Oh right–it’s winter isn’t it?

 

One of the best things

about having an extensive

[over 40,000 images] photo

archive on your computer is

the ability to access images

of things that are blooming

and colorful, bright, cheery

flowering year round, even

if it’s winter outside. 

Green grass needs to be

trimmed, leaves sprout on trees

flowers blossom continuously

the sun sets on stunning

landscapes, the water is not

frozen

…you get my drift. 

 

 

It takes me away from the dazzling snowy days and the insistent white stuff that Mother Nature keeps dropping from the sky.

 

 

If I search my archives I can live among blooming flowers, and chirping birds, I can almost feel the sun beating down on my head, and remember the feel of that mosquito that bit my ankle as I water for what seemed endless hours.

 

 

But if I look outside my window after forgetting where I am for a moment, I am rudely pulled back into reality…I’m not vacationing in the tropics, it’s not summer, indeed I am snow bound in a brown, leafless, white covered world. One that is not going to go away any time soon…

 

 

It’s no wonder I gaze deeply into the lush green of the ferns, and marvel at the brilliance of the sweet peas….that flower bed is covered with snow, it’s hardly a lump under there.

 

 

 

The emerald glow of the Gingko leaves with the sun peeking through them hardly looks familiar if I stare at the bare branches. And the bright tones of the Dahlias glow through my computer screen.

 

 

Don’t mind me I know it’s winter, I am just vacationing in my archives…it’s much warmer there.

 

Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams

No Winter Whining–Finding color in winter

 

I’m joining up with Heather [who is this weeks host of No Winter Whining], Laura, I’m so vintage, and Lynn and you can too can link up at Heather’s blog, Life is a garden, and link your Finding color in winter post.  The link up will be open until Thursday, and don’t forget to “like” our NWW page on Facebook, and join in our Pinterest boards. 

Anyone can join in the fun, even if your winter is sandy between your toes.

 

Finding color in winter was

rather challenging in our

white on white land that

I now call winter. I wanted

something with a little

boost to it, some real

color not just the muted

winter tones that I see

through my winter windows. 

To find color in winter my

camera and I went for a

walk on a long shadowed

day filled with weak

sunshine, we saw so much white. 

Then we came upon the stark and beautiful bare branches of dormant trees, the skies were blue but …

I really had to search to find some more color.

 

 

I found some gorgeous frozen Mountain Ash berries, a real bird treat, and a welcome splash of color in my winter world. This is one tree I am going to have to remember to plant in my backyard this spring.

 

 

The fire hydrant, bright red on white snow, up here they need to send crews around to dig them out after the snowstorms so they can be found quickly and easily if they are needed.  We can get a lot of snow up here.

 

 

I headed on over to the park to look at the street signs, they had some color in winter, the red of the stop sigh, the yellow of the slow down it’s a park zone, and the “you are not allowed in here after dark” signs.

 

 

Then I came upon the red Canada post mailbox, it’s brilliant bright red a welcome color in winter.

 

 

This one must be broken, it only delivers bills, they should fix that.

By then my fingers were frozen, so I headed back home to see what my camera had captured.

I would love to see what everyone else has found for color in winter, and if you would like to see also head on over to the link up at Life is a garden. 

Next week I am hosting the link up, and the subject is Structure in Winter, again we are leaving it up to your imagination as to what that would mean.  I look forward to seeing you again next Sunday.

 

Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams