Support Freedom for the Iranian people-AZADI-آزادی

Today is the day to stand in solidarity with the people of Iran. I've been fortunate in my life to meet wonderful artists from Iran, and to count Iranians among my friends here in the United States. I want for those living in Iran the same freedoms that I so often take for granted: the ability to speak freely about what goes in my government, to be able to hold a conversation on the telephone about protests and not be cut-off, to be able to march in protest marches without risk of being sent to prison or worse, to be able to create art freely that expresses my personal opinion, to able to blog about things I care about with out risk of censorship or worse. I want people in Iran to know that we think of them and support them in their desire for a free society. AZADI - آزادی

More snow...reality.

Here are some views from inside. I took the view from the front window after the snow had stopped falling, though it was still being blown off of the trees and roofs. Here's the view of Jane's yard as the wind whipped up snow, like a white out, right after I spotted Jane walking out there. The views from the back upstairs window shows the snow clinging to each branch of the tree. This is just unbelievable to us. This is just so NOT Richmond, VA. Our new neighbors moved here from Denver. They're used to the snow but not the schools being closed. Yes, the schools are closed again. This is SO Richmond, VA - to close schools.

I think I'll knit today.

More snow....Ridiculous

Yesterday, we had a gray but okay day. Hard to believe that more snow was predicted. After Spanish class, I stopped by Lamplighter cafe and coffee roastery. It's owned by some folks that I'm related to by neighborhood and friendship (mom to mom.) They have a yummy looking menu, the dishes and cups were made by Zach's mom! The doughnuts are the home made ones from that east end place that's nostalgia provoking for my family. Because more snow was predicted, and it was sooo cold out, I decided to turn that cabbage in the refrigerator in to some soup. I put some potatoes in it, and diced tomatoes, a dash of lemon juice and a tad brown sugar and it kind of tasted like mom's soup.
I got a new cake pan. I'm crazy about shaped pans. You may remember my "cathedral" cakes with the powdered sugar snow on them. Here's my newest pan. I tried out a box mix in it yesterday, just to see if it worked! And it did! Wow, what a gorgeous cake. Today, I might make another cake just for the fun of it. Come on by and have a piece of cake! Call first to be sure I'm not outside taking more snow pictures. I can't stop myself!

An award!

How nice to be noticed. I got this lovely award from Lesa.
Now I'm supposed to tell you seven things about me that you might not know, but since I've been blogging awhile, and you might be a regular reader, I'm a pretty open book. Seven things, hmmm. Okay, how about these:
1. When I was little, way before most electronic devices were invented, I wanted a device that I could put under my pillow that would teach me languages while I was asleep. I day-dreamed that one day I'd wake up and be able to speak Italian fluently, or Greek, or French, etc. I was about 10 years old at the time.
2. I sang with the Virginia Commonwealth University Choral Art Society for 7 years. I miss it.
3. I was a pretty decent ice skater when I was a kid.
4. I love hats and have some really nice hand made ones. Check out Ignatius.
5. I have lots of different colors of nail polish & once I had 8 different Golds.
6. I once swallowed a dime.
7. I've known my husband for 50 years. (OMG!! how can that be!?)

I want to pass this award to: Beanie at Found-art, what fun to read.
and to: Anke Martin, who here shares her family life, her art life and her beautiful photos with us.
There are soooo many more blogs that I adore and read regularly, you know who you are, YOU make my days delightful. Thanks, merci beaucoup, danke, gracias.

How things change.

Not at all, things hadn't changed! This past weekend, we had snow again. It started on Friday morning, at 9h30 to be exact, as I was leaving for my Spanish Meet-up group. I vowed not to take another photo of the stuff. Ugh! It snowed all night and into Saturday. White stuff on everything AGAIN! So I baked, again. I had two small sweet potatoes on hand so I made the sweet potato pound cake, only halved it. (recipe here in an older post.)I baked it in a loaf pan. It turned out really good. I froze 2/3 of it for another time. With all this baking, we could have clogged arteries if we ate it all. I did take a few photos on Saturday, of a corner of my screened in back porch and of the shells on the porch ledge, reminding me that the beach awaits us on some nice day in the future.

Bright spots.

We had sun yesterday and today. Last night, it rained and the temperature went up, so today we have a lot less snow. The streets are all mushy slushy, and some sidewalks are totally free of snow. It's nice to get some clean up before the weekend when we're supposed to get snow again. The snow that decorated my tree has melted but it looked so nice with it's white frosting.
Smitty wore his Count Dracula cape for a walk yesterday. He couldn't walk too far but enjoyed the bit he did. When I got round the corner, I was nicely surprised to find a tiny hand on the pole, formerly the site of The Shelf. Plus a little note that said "good-by Bea." Hmmm.




Two of my African Violets are in bloom. I just love the bright spot in my bedroom. You can see the tree out in my back garden and the snow on the garage roof. The flowers are doing very well even though they never got watered once during the two weeks that I was in Los Angeles. I guess the soaking I gave them before I left and the soaking I gave them when I returned was all they needed. Me gusta mucho estes flores!

New Mitts

What do I do besides cook and bake when I'm snowed in? What does my sister do when she sits with mom, out in Los Angeles? We knit! Here are a couple of the new mitts that I just posted in our Etsy shop, here.