Grey Skies on a Sunny Morning

Posted on by marissafh

We were looking forward to a weekend tournament in Virginia, thinking that it would be warmer than it is here in NYC.  Wrong ….

We were out on the fields, in blustery winds and 0-20 degree weather in the early mornings … Us parents had three and four and maybe five layers on – the boys had two to three layers … And spring is next week already?  Oh wait … we came back home and there was a nor’easter snowstorm-blizzard waiting for us!  We really are having crazy weather these days, right?

grey skies

 

Advertisements

Time Flies …

Posted on by marissafh

And we’re already in the second month of the year …

Is it just me, or did the first month really fly by so fast?  What were we doing that we didn’t even notice the days fly by?  Were we really all in a hurry?  Did we really have so many things to do?

And I’m not really doing a good job with this on and off blogging either.  As usual, I wrote and published several posts, and all in my head. lol

The weather  – well, I’m sure you know all about the weather.  It’s been a crazy winter, but again I’m not complaining.  We’ve only had one snowstorm/blizzard, and it’s been mild a times.  We even went through three seasons over two days!  We started with fall to winter to spring …

 

Our sports schedule changed a bit, but it was still hectic.  There wasn’t much of soccer, so Tin picked up winter track to keep in shape … Well, that opened up a whole new world for us!  Tin found that he can keep up with the fast boys – we always knew he could run fast, as we would see on the soccer field every now and then.  But now he’s competing with a whole new set of athletes.  He’s not quite up at the nationals level, but that’s something he can work on, if he continues.  Now he’s looking to running the spring track … Which is about the same time that the new soccer season starts, so that means more travelling hours and less hours in a day for us …

We should enjoy it and make the most of it, we’re told … he’s a junior now and in a couple of years we won’t be running around as much … which brings me to the next chapter of my life journey – retirement.  But that’s for another post …

Good weekend, and stay safe and warm!

 

 

Winter Comes 

Posted on by marissafh

Actually, it’s been here, for several days.

Cold winds suddenly blew in, and temperatures dropped down 30 degrees,maybe more.

And … it’s the holiday season and the end of year … and there’s no Christmas decorations in the house.  It suddenly sneaked up on us, hubby said.  No, I replied, we heard enough from the media about Christmas coming, and we see the dates on the calendar … we just don’t pay enough attention to the days, and we just keep on going, from home to work to soccer to sports to groceries to home …  By the time we settle down, it is Christmas Day …

So … slow down, even for a bit … Enjoy the holiday season.

 

 

 

 

Blizzard 2016

Posted on by marissafh

Well … the Blizzard of 2016 lived up to its name, and more.

We got 28 inches of snow by the time all was done, and apparently that’s a normal total for one winter.  But we got it all in one weekend … So … does that mean that we’re done with snow for the winter?  ha!  Keep on dreaming, I’m told.

I wasn’t feeling to go outside trampling in the snow this year.  Maybe the next snowstorm.  So I was just standing by the windows and the doors, taking pictures.

12615172_10154455088388906_5187146199653463310_o

I would look out the back door once in a while to see how high the snow reached …

… and the front door …

… and out the window …

I gaped at the neighbours’ roof at the overhanging chunks? sheets? mass? of snow … and waited for it to break off and fall … as of this morning, they were still there.

And another rite of passage … passing on the mantle … Justin’s first solo run with the snowblower …

12640435_10154455088378906_1478913630107389664_o

*sigh*  They grow too fast, don’t they?

 

Winter is Here … Finally

Posted on by marissafh

Of course, now that I’m back, Mother Nature decides that it’s time for winter to make an appearance.

‘You brought the cold and winter, Mom’, the boys told me.

They’d been having balmy 50-degree weather days while I was away.

I came out of the house and the car was covered in tiny, delicate ice flakes.  Of course I had to take a picture … they just didn’t come out too well.  And it was too cold and I was running late to go back inside and get a proper camera.

So this will have to do.  I kind of like it, though.

FullSizeRender (4)

Sort of a dark winterland … hmmm … I feel another sketching session coming up …

 

This and That

Posted on by marissafh

It’s all about the weather these days, isn’t it?

IMG_9110

So far, we’ve missed the blizzard-of-the-century that didn’t happen, and the two other storms that came after that didn’t bring the amount of snow that was forecasted.  I’m not complaining.  We got some snow, and plenty of cold, but not as much as the other areas.  I’m ready for winter to end, though.  Aren’t you?

One good thing about the snowstorms and dangerous road conditions … snow days and days off from work.  These unexpected days off add to the weekend – coincidentally, the storms blew in during the weekend, and Mondays and sometimes Tuesdays were horrible travel days.  So we just stayed home, and caught up with stuff we didn’t have time to do over the weekend.

For me, though, it also meant that it was full immersion in my newest obsession – weaving!  I was able to take a beginning class last month, and since then, it’s been non-stop weaving.  Can you imagine that I’ve put aside knitting and crocheting (except for about 15 minutes at a time), and been working on playing with the rigid heddle loom and being amazed at what can come out it?  Here’s some that I’ve finished.  I’ve written about the full experience over on my crafts blog, if you’re interested in seeing how these came about.

I finally got business cards and gift tags ordered for my charity/causes, from Moo.com.  If you’re thinking of getting business cards or stocking up, try them out.  You’ll get a 10% discount off your first purchase, by clicking on this link.  It’ll give me some points towards my next purchase with them, if I decide to order from them again.  Beware … they have lots of other cute stuff to tempt you … like stickers!  Never even thought of stickers to attach to gifts, donations, etc, but that’s a good idea. Maybe next time …

I’ll be going on a short trip next week … off for some hot sunshine, and away from the snow and cold!  Hopefully the weather will be warmer when I get back …