Winter trees and my birthday

We have been having some very cold days, around - 15 degrees c, but sunny with it, so a beautiful landscape to be inspired by !

I have been trying to do some acrylic sketches of the lovely colours in the winter skies through the trees. Working quite quickly so as to catch the light before it changes !

These are horrible photo's, but you get a vague idea of what I'm trying to do !

I'm going to do more, hope the weather continues to be so beautiful this week. These sketches give me something to work from anyway.

I had a lovely birthday. My daughters made me a cake and decorated it with smarties and a paint brush to make it look like an artists palette ! They are so sweet, and growing up so fast ! Making birthday cakes for me now !

My kind, generous Dad bought me a new sewing machine for my birthday. Mine broke down ( probably in tears !) some time ago and I have been borrowing a friends. So I now have a lovely Husqvarna, Viking Emerald . Thanks Dad XXXX

The girls and a friend had a great time sledging down a hill on the farm yesterday. The snow was quite compacted and icy so they went zooming !

I went to inspect the barn that J is renovating for me ( inbetween all his other jobs !) to become studio, shop, gallery, and all the other ideas I have going around in my crazy head ! He says he's GOT to have it finished by Feb' hmmm ? He works so hard bless him.

Had to think of six weird things about myself !

1. Like anything to do with ghosts and spookiness !!

2. Would like a pet pig !

3. Still have a crush on Harrison Ford !

4. Love the smell of timber...lucky I married a carpenter !

5. Love stairways

6. Have a terror of maths ( probably due to nasty maths teacher Mr H !!!!)

Don't know why there's a huge gap between this and the previous post ! Sorry !

We actually had some snow !

We had some snow ! My youngest just had to make a snowman, a little one, as it wasn't much snow !

It's all blown away now, we've had some horrid storms, and damage up and down the country. I lay awake listening to the lightbulb rattling in it's fittings the other night, I hate the wind !!

Took some arty shots while we were visiting the horse ! I love trees in winter.

Happy New Year !

Happy New Year to you !

We've had a good Christmas, if you ignore the coughs and colds that everyone seems to have had !

So lovely to be given gifts from the girls, things that they have made in school and hidden away until Christmas !

Eaten too much and I am full of remorse and promises of being good from now on ! You get some idea of my self discipline when I tell you that I was watching a tv program on dieting last night, and I opened a box of chocolates left over from Christmas to keep me company while I watched ! Comfort eating because I've eaten too much hmmm ?

My daughter had a nice morning ride on Rabello the pony she helps out with yesterday. He's a sweet natured New Forest. I know nothing about horses, but have learnt to muck out !

She has a friend here today, I am making cottage pie for lunch, a good old British dish that her friend has never eaten before. I hope she wont be too disappointed with mince and mashed potatoes !!