Well, it took a while to get here but get here it did! This is our first real cold blast of winter air this weekend and I have to say I love it. From the activity of the winter festivals that take place in our mountain communities to the simple hot cup of tea at home with the radio tuned in to, well, whatever your cup of tea is musically. You gotta love our seasons here in southwest Pennsylvania!
We are in the process of recovery after the hustle and bustle of the Christmas past and also with the move to our new permanent location. (Our original digs, actually).
We are collecting new gift ideas for the coming year as the catalogs trickle in. This is the time of year that I reorder all of our standards such as the skin soothing Essence of Heaven lotions that we all need to nourish and protect our skin from the biting cold winds.
Replenishing our teas and coffees and biscotti is a constant chore that we keep on top of in addition to expanding the Harney & Sons tea line, which we are very excited about.
The kaleidoscopes are still a popular toy for just about everyone who comes in and picks it up to play with it.
That aside, it’s that time of year to sit back on these cold weather weekends and watch the daylight hours glow ever so slightly longer, and before we all know it, we will be planting our rye seeds in Easter Baskets so that we will have a nice patch of real Easter grass for the Easter Bunny to leave his eggs in!
If you have never done this, it’s a fun project for younger children (or anyone who enjoys gardening) to get their hands into. Just line the intended basket with plastic and foil, (basket should have sides about three inches high), add soil and rye seeds, (available at most feed stores, in our area try an Agway) and nurture them into a lush, natural lined Easter basket! Easter is early this year so you can start this project around Ash Wednesday. It’s nice for kids to water and watch.
