Full Wolf Moon

This lovely moon was in my backyard yesterday afternoon.

Native Americans used to refer to January's full moon as the Full Wolf Moon. Amid the frigid temperatures and snow of January, wolves would howl with hunger outside their villages. I'm sure this must have been a time of worry and fear.

Sometimes the wolves are howling outside around us. We wonder if we can face what is right outside our door. We fret.

"The next moment is as much beyond our grasp, and as much in God's care, as that a hundred years away. Care for the next minute is just as foolish as care for a day in the next thousand years. In neither can we do anything, in both God is doing everything." -C.S. Lewis

Whimsical Winter

Whimsical:erratic; unpredictable.

For the past 3 days we have had almost spring like weather but alas yesterday afternoon it was snowing...again. Not too much, but it is now noticably colder...again. This season could be described as whimsical.


The watercolor and collage above is based on a photo that I took the Monday after the December 18 snowstorm. I really liked it and decided to put it in my journal.


Thinking back I remember; a few days after the snow and when our electric power was restored...early in the morning...on a day out of school...I bribed my teenage son out of bed with the promise of his favorite out to eat breakfast. We put on heavy coats and gloves, got in our old Toyota (that drives great in the snow) and headed to B.'s favorite diner. I did not tell B. until after he got his food that I was going to also drive around and take a few camera pics. "Oh mom, I just want to go back home", he said. Because he wasn't hungry anymore and still sleepy, I was able to convince him to go. I wanted to get photos of the heavy snow on the trees. You just don't get that kind of snow here all the time.


"It looks like a fairy-land", I said as we drove. "Mmmm", he said. We drove along the hilly roads and admired the way the trees bowed with the heavy snow. I would stop and snap pictures. B. sat behind the wheel so he could move the car if anyone drove up behind us. "Wow, look at that mom", he said as we drove along a stream and admired the view.


We headed behind one of the shopping centers that overlooks a valley. I got out and took photos as B. sat quietly in the car. When I got back in, my son said "Hey, lets go down that street behind the auto place. I bet its really beautiful down there".

Green Pepper Press Street Team Crusade No. 36-Braving the Elements

I have long been an admirer of Michelle Ward's beautiful designs. Her website inspires my creativity. Every month she has an artistic challenge for her readers. Some of them I have done quietly on my own, others I have just read about. This month I decided to participate openly and leave a comment! The name of this month's crusade is "Braving the Elements." Wow! That is certainly what we have been doing here in West Virginia. On December 18, most of our state was hit with the largest snowstorm in more than a decade. Heavy snow took down more than 600 power poles and miles and miles of wire. Many people did not have electric power for days. Talk about braving the elements! Recently I posted about cutting snowflake designs using kirigami. I was cutting and pasting snowflakes everywhere. Why not cut some smaller snowflakes and participate in the Green Pepper Press Crusade this month?



So that is just what I did. I followed Michelle's clear directions given on her GPP Street Team Crusade page. I cut snowflakes, gessoed my journal pages, painted, then painted again over snowflakes.



When I looked at what I made, it reminded me of butterflies. Snowflakes are like butterflies in the winter. I googled the phrase and discovered it was NOT a new thought. Oh well...



This was a fun crusade and helped brighten up these cold snowy days. If you would like to participate in the crusade, here is the website:
http://michelleward.typepad.com/how_cool_is_that/

Snow Days

A couple of New Years ago, while looking at half priced calendars, I discovered a square blocked calendar that offered kirigami patterns. You know the kind? Each day is on a square page, you view the page for the day, then throw it away. This calendar, you view the page and cut the design, then throw it away...or not. The patterns are really pretty. Kirigami is a Japanese tradition of paper folding and then cutting to make various designs. Kind of like an expanded origami.I bought the calendar. At first it seemed too hard. I put the calendar away. Recently I bought some smaller and sharper scissors. Now, especially with all the snow days we've had, I just can't stop cutting. I plan to fill up my windows. There are kirigami books in the library and patterns on line...Or there may be some Kirigami Calendars left for more than half price. Try Borders Bookstore or Books A Million. You might get hooked, like me.