January | 2020 | Mom in the Garden

Rise and shine chickens!

Hi there! Has it been frosty where you live? or maybe snowy? We’ve been so lucky (well, I consider it lucky) that we’ve only had a few days of hard frost, which by any standards isn’t bad at all. There have been some beautiful sunrises and some absolutely gorgeous sunsets too, making January quite enjoyable!

I managed to get in the garden twice so far this year. Yup, twice: once to start pruning my roses and once to do some weeding. Both jobs are not nearly done! But it did feel good to get outside in the fresh air. I have a very warm pair of gardening gloves that were perfect for those cold days.

The days are ‘getting longer’ too! The chickens were going to bed at 4:30 pm in the darkest days of winter, whereas they are now going to bed after 5 pm! Yay for more daylight!

Here are a few pictures from my garden in January, and mostly on frosty days.

I hope you are staying cozy and warm!

In Peace,
Dana

One of my favorite trees: Nootka Cypress

Globe Artichokes from the summer in a pink hued sky

Another one of my favorite evergreen trees: Abies Koreana

I don’t know the name of this plant (given to me by a neighbor). I think it is a black ornamental grass of some type. 🙂

a frozen rose

a frosty view of the garden around the playhouse

Carnival Chandelier, 2008, Chihuly Collection

(close up) Carnival Chandelier, 2008, Dale Chihuly Collection

Azul de Medianoche Chandelier, 2004

(close up) Azul de Medianoche Chandelier, 2004

Ruby Red Icicle Chandelier, 2010

It is wonderful going on vacation, isn’t it? There are two aspects to vacation for me: 1. Relaxing with family and 2. Discovering/exploring/learning something or someplace new. I had the pleasure of visiting my family in Florida over Christmas. It was wonderful to get to spend time with family, especially over Christmas! We also ventured out to see the Chihuly Collection presented by the Morean Arts Center, in St. Petersburg, Florida. What a collection!

I only learned about Dale Chihuly this past April when my daughter and I came across his work while visiting the Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (I wrote about that here). During that visit, I learned that his work is renowned around the world! Interestingly, this building at the Morean Arts Center was purpose built to hold this collection of Chihuly’s work. They showed a documentary film which covered all of Chihuly’s work, which was fascinating to watch. It was so interesting to learn how his collections come about. First of all, he works in teams made up of anywhere from 5 to 18 people, although the concepts and ideas are his. He also doesn’t usually handle the glass, as he only has vision in one eye following an accident from years ago. He is a prolific drawer and painter, and from those drawings and paintings come forth the ideas for new collections. It is an incredible, fast paced, constantly evolving process.

The Morean Arts Center also has a studio and ‘hot shop’ just across the street from the museum where they give blown glass demonstrations. This gives a wonderful perspective on the process of how the items are created and how unique each one is. It is well worth the visit!

Our teenage girls also enjoyed seeing the collection and the demonstration, making it a successful family outing! 🙂

I hope you enjoy the pictures, although I’d highly recommend seeing the collection in person!

In Peace,
Dana