Winter...don'cha just love it!

Whoosh!!! all the snow and ice on the tin garage roof come down on our walk way two days ago!  DH and I shovelled it out.  Snow blower was of little use as it was mostly large pieces of ice. Then we decided to dig out the Barbecue as the weather is so nice, just below freezing.

The result of the whole thing is neither of us could move yesterday.  Old folks should not get that enthusiastic about snow removal.  lol  Job satisfaction was great, but aching muscles was not.  We were even too tired to cook anything on it.

Keeping the pathway open to the bird feeder has bee a chore this winter too.  I just lugged in a 45 lb. bag of sunflower seeds and the Blue Jays think they have died and gone to heaven!!

All this snow is four feet + deep in some areas.  They are predicting major flooding on the Red river this spring.  This does not affect us here in Steinbach, but we have run off to fear.  If all this melts too quickly we will drown.  Those of us in basement suites are particularly nervous.

Mind you it is glorious to walk in the yard when the temperature is only a degree or two below freezing, and the sun is shining brightly.  It seems that spring will actually come this year.  Praise the Lord.

Steppin' Out series...

I have finally gotten busy in my studio.  It has been a while, and lots of excitement under the bridge.  An armed robbery and a 65th surprise birthday party!  So there was good and bad.

There were 42 people at the party, from my life from when I was 13 years old to present!  I am awed and humbled that so many friends are still with me.  Such love in the room.  Friends from my riding days, friends from our wedding party, stitching friends, art group friends, just friends anyway friends, and all sorts of relatives.  A good time was had by all.

But now I am seriously  working on shoes.  I am calling them my Steppin' Out series.  I am amassing quite a collection of shoe blanks.

Steppin' Out...on the beach.  Covered with a tie, a beaded jasper cab and two kinds of shells.  The top pic is closer to the true colour.

This is Steppin' Out....with a spring of pearls.  This shoe (vivid pink cloth) was the first shoe I collected.  It started it all.   It is honkin' huge, but has turned out quite outstanding.  Lots of rat tail and glass pearls on a piece of gorgeous fabric I bought just knowing I would find a use for it sometime.

 All the mechanics are done with Paverpol....what wonderful stuff!

I am now working on Steppin' Out....of the swamp.  Covered in dark moss green upholstery fabric it features three little lizzards, an ammonite, some sari waste yarn and a vast amount of beadwork.  This will take a while to finish.

Going to get right to it now.