In The Works

At last, plans are concrete! The anticipation is building. Our plane tickets have been purchased and hotel reservations have been finalized. Dreaming of a springtime visit to France helps me to get through these cold and dreary days of another winter in the Midwest. It has been the usual roller-coaster ride of freezing cold, bitter winds, sleet, and snow, interspersed with a day or two of delightful warmth. Kansans have been much more fortunate than people in others areas of the U.S. We have not had an ice storm or blizzard this winter. A recent storm dropped 5 inches of snow and another little storm last night brought us an inch or two more.

Pretty, but not very inviting.

I was a bit disappointed to find that airfare prices had not dropped at all. I didn't feel as if I should wait any longer, and am now restraining myself from taking another peek. We have our tickets, and that's what matters.

Craig and I continue to be very busy with the home remodeling and are thrilled that some of our projects are nearly complete. Our half bath is done. Well, almost. All that remains is to grout the tile backsplash. We have already started on the new guest room. The plumber will be arriving this week to install fixtures for the additional half bath which we are putting into the basement. That will definitely keep us occupied for a bit! It's amazing how much we have managed to fit into this small house. With five people living here now, we need to utilize every inch of space.

Desmond been busy as well. He is nearly finished with his move and is happily settling into the new place and the new neighborhood. Desmond has a guest room ready for us, which will be a special treat. Last year, I thoroughly enjoyed staying with him in his tiny apartment. He both made me feel very welcome and comfortable. Craig will now be able to enjoy the hospitality, too. Once we return from England, that is! I still can hardly believe that we will be visiting London and Bath. Desmond and I will meet Craig in London, where we will spend only one night before traveling on to Bath. We are all looking forward to the excursion. Until then, we will carry on with home renovations and continue to dream of April in Paris.

Lavender, growing near the Seine.

April in Paris.

Baby, It's Cold Outside!

It's 14 degrees outside, with worse to come. I am very happy to be snug and warm inside my little brick house, with nothing more to worry about than what I will cook for supper this evening. My heart goes out to all those who must work outside in adverse conditions.

A view of our chilly back yard.

The Christmas decorations have been put away, and the house is back to normal. Schools are in session after the long holiday break. I hung the 2015 calendar last week with a smile, already anticipating my next visit to France this spring. I'm thrilled to be going again, yet I don't want to wish these days away. Time seems to fly more swiftly, the older I become. Each day is precious.

One our remaining cottonwood trees. This one is probably 80 years old.

I can't say we are doing anything very exciting right now. Craig and I have been reorganizing and it seems that we keep changing our minds as to what goes where! We have been gradually turning our little sitting room into less of an office and more of a cozy nest where we can enjoy coffee, read, or watch a movie. I have picked out paint colors and am almost ready to begin on the walls. 

In all of our reorganizing, Craig and I have moved most of my vintage items downstairs, where he has created space for me in a corner of his workshop. It is a daunting task to shelve all of those things in such a way that I can quickly locate and retrieve an item for shipping. If you would care to view the vintage treasures I have for sale, please visit ColorTheMoon.

Even our dog, Bella, won't stay out for long in this cold!

Until next time, stay cozy! Oh, and I have decided what to make for supper. It's not a French dish, but I must share this recipe with you. It's absolutely the best homemade spaghetti sauce ever! Desmond found it on Allrecipes.com and shared it with me. Now it is the only sauce I make. Even people who don't like mushrooms will like this: Mariu's Spaghetti with Meat Sauce. Enjoy!