Settling in for winter

Well, the holidays are well and truly over at our house.  My birthday is shortly after New Year's and it seems that we no sooner finish celebrating Christmas and New Year's then it's my birtday!  Now, I don't have a problem with that, but I never really feel that I can take a deep breath and settle in for a winter of creating until the big day is over.  This year, because it was a "milestone" birthday the festivities took a little longer to complete.  My wonderful husband, with help from our daughter and suggestions from our son, gave me a surprise party over the weekend!  It was a wonderful time, with family (our son and daughter-in-law came down  from Boston after just being here for Christmas!) and good friends to share the evening.  But, now, I can say it's winter and I can stay in and work in the studio!  I'm also hoping to post more to the blog.  So, this is just "note to say Hello" and I'm still here and you'll be hearing more from me now that life has calmed down, decorations are put away and the house is back in order. 

Hope you all are enjoying the calm after the holiday rush.  I'll say good bye for now with this picture of the birdfeeder out my kitchen window the day after our December blizzard.  It looks like a cherry tart to me!