sunshine & valentine's

Sunday, January 24, 2010


Miss Winnie Dixon in a big patch of yesterday's sunshine

The beautiful (and huge) wool remnant crazy quilt is from the cowboy's childhood. A quilt that his mother made long ago and perfect to tuck in under watching our movies* each winter's evening.

The sun is just up and beginning to pour it's gorgeous golden orange early morning light upon everything and it's looking like another spectacular sunny, blue sky day. The sisters and I walked very early this morning, under the stars, the air crisp and cold - as good as that second cup of coffee in making you feel awake and alive. We have a regular route we follow that begins along the harbour on a path in the snow maintained by dog walkers, the only ones crazy enough to walk where the wind blowing in over the ice is almost always sharp and cold. It's a treat for the girls because of the immense olfactory sensations hiking on a trail used daily by other canines so I bundle up in my fleece and down and stand and look at the stars or the brightening sky as they both pause each morning to gather all the details of those who've come before us.

Then around 3:30 or 4:00 in the afternoon we do it all over again, lately in bright sunshine under the bluest winter sky followed by an abbreviated version just before bedtime.

My friend Rachel from across the pond, most excellent cat mother of Miss Millie with the Black Nose (truest love and betrothed of Oliver) pondered in the comment section here yesterday What's going on in the basement now ? Thorough and tres meticulous (sighing) are tattooed somewhere on his body ... the cowboy's been insulating the foundation of the beautiful clean and dry basement (with the help of Oliver who's given up his design job here at the TTD preferring to hang out with a guy). The cowboy made a shelf (sill) for the one and only very sunny basement window - a place so the cat's can sit and bask as cats so love to do. He (the Prince oATG**) has been dropping hints about my upcoming Valentine's Day gift. He's been planning and scheming a way to dismantle the money guzzling and potentially unsafe propane hot water heater (in the dead of winter) that's currently hooked up to/with my oil fired boiler (in affect heating the water in this old brick house twice). I catch him often shaking his head in wonder and tsk tsking under his breath. When he's finished with our basement it will be dry, clean, warm and super duper efficient. Sigh. We (les Gang and I) could not ask for a more perfect Valentine.

* a few movies recently watched
Julie & Julia - fantastic !! I LOVED it !!! (could watch it again in an instant) - from the library
5 Easy Pieces - weird and strange in a very good way - from the cowboy's movie collection
Rescue Dawn - an amazing true story - from the Walmart $5. movie bin

**oATG - of All Things Good




17 comments:

  1. Oh I'm sure there's more to your Valentine than a new water heater, not that there's anything wrong with that. Hearts will be flying.

    Love to hear more about Julie and Julia.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Gorgeous quilt. Sweet, contented Miss Dixon. It sounds like the cowboy is doing wonderful things to the house. You deserve it all, Susan.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Maybe a flash, on demand, hot h20 heater is in your future!???My mom has watched Julie & Julia 3 times now...ah, the part when they wear those jumbo valentine cut outs...what a hoot!
    Tail Wags and quilt coziness to All.
    ~Moose

    ReplyDelete
  4. what a gorgeous quilt that is, susan! and you know ho wi love to see miss winnie d relaxing in the sunshine! wish we some of that winter warmth here but it is cloudy and rainy. there's always hope in my heart for sun this afternoon or maybe tomorrow. i can be patient and wait.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Yea..sunshine. Nothing better than snoozing in the sun
    Benny & Lily

    ReplyDelete
  6. lOVE THAT lOVE THAT COUCH!!lOVE QUILT!!! lOVE THAT COWBOY! lOVE THAT BASEMENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!lOVE MOVIE NIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!LOVE INSULATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!iLOVE MORNING WALKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!dOES bESS EVER GET TO WALK? I HAVE A FEELING THE COWBOY IS WORKING IN THE BASEMENT WHILE YOU ARE WALKING!

    ReplyDelete
  7. We need another kissing picture just for reassurance!!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hey Martha, Yes, yes Bess does get to walk but because of her 7 month old exuberance (read roughness) we have had to curtail our tout la gang walks in the hayfield. She's a bit of a brat and insists on coercing Missy D into running, spinning, twirling and jumping which is just way too hard on Winnie's (just turned) 11 year old knees (and of course causes Mama to fret and worry). So the cowboy walks Miss Bess in the hayfield behind his house several times each day and in between his toiling away in our lovely basement. I LOVE the quilt also !! xo S & les Gang

    ReplyDelete
  9. Nice to see MIss Dee looking chilled. And agree about the quilt. The embroidery is very charming.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Lovely lovely pictures, Susan.

    Who needs flowers and chocolates on Valentine's Day when they could have a basement/boiler refurb? You've found yourself a treasure there, my girl!

    ReplyDelete
  11. I'm with Rachel. Anyone can buy flowers and chocolates - the basement refurnishment and repairs, requires a person of patience and skill, even adding a basking shelf for the cats no less!!. Chocolates get eaten, flowers fade - a basement is forever!!!...and the most beautiful of photos you've featured in this post Susan with that delightful quilt as a feature. Superb!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Cozy and comforting photos...happy and contented doggie...perfect story, too...

    ReplyDelete
  13. I have been out of town a few days and it is WONDERFUL to come home to pictures of WINNIE!!! I LOVE HER!!! And Bess and Piper Belle, too, but I have that big soft spot for Miss Winnie D. Such a beautiful quilt the Cowboy has shared! I love something handmade with special love and care like that! Have a great weak! Better get MY hubby thinking about Valentine's Day....he won't want to be in the dog house!

    ReplyDelete
  14. I'm just dropping in from Mystical Journies. Your Miss Winnie looks very much like my Charity! They could be long lost sisters!

    ReplyDelete
  15. I so loved J&J too. Fun as bloggers, isn't it?

    ReplyDelete

Hey ! We LOVE comments here at 29 Black Street.
Thanks for stopping by.