clean out your refrigerator day

This morning dawned with a promise of sun, though the fields around the farm were shrouded in frozen mist.

I was glad I woke up early enough to catch the first snow on the upstairs deck before the sun had a chance to melt it away.

OK, the beginning of a new week and a fresh opportunity to get to all those things I've been putting off. First, the frig. According to Susan Wittig Albert, author of All About Time: a Weekly Calendar of Times and Seasonings, it's clean out your refrigerator day. (You can subscribe by writing to:  webmistress@abouthyme.com.)  My refrigerator tends to hold lots more than yours since I've been determined there not be a crumb nor a hint of a temptation to lure those field mice hiding in the basement to make themselves comfortable in my kitchen. And I want the bird food handy for refilling the feeders so the seed cakes are in there too, though I should find some sort of metal container to store them in like I'm using for the thistle seed. There are Junkos here now bottom feeding beneath the chickadees, gold finches and woodpeckers.

And Susan's calendar says it's America Recycles day. So I thought it would be good to finally do something with the dried corn tassels I gathered a few weeks ago before the corn was harvested. I tried one method of making a wreath and it was a disaster, so not to be put off my goal I decided to use the grapevine wreath I had fashioned in October when we were cleaning up the overgrowth at the koi pond. Here is the result. And Anne, thanks for the dried Queen Anne's Lace I added at the last minute. Not the best photo, but you get the idea.

I did go through all the tear sheets I had gathered from the last batch of magazines and catalogs. I needed to do it before I was buried and good things would be lost forever. Did all the desk work too and rearranged my sewing table to make room to play with some colored papers while my sewing machine is away. I've been gathering a box full of paint color samples from various paint departments and want to try using their deep bright colors in mini paper quilts. I have some nice paper punches that should work to give the impression of applique. Should be fun. I'll include some photos of that work another day.
Dovey continues to keep me constant company as I move from one job to another. She especially enjoyed the sun today, taking her version of a sunbath.

Many thanks to my daughter and son-in-law for absolutely making my day. Until now my husband and I have been chatting on Skype without my being able to see him, as his computer did not have a camera. Well today he called me and there he was!! See for yourself...

I am over the moon with delight. Thank you, thank you Anne and Matthias.
As if seeing his handsome face wasn't enough, Mother Nature gave me a gift as well.

Time to close. Enjoy this mid November evening, curled up with a good video, wrapped in an afghan or quilt, hands busy with crochet, or cross stitch, or quilting, or other pleasant activity. A lovely way to finish the day's business before a cozy read in bed before lights out.
Good night all.