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Time for Herbs to Head Indoors for the Winter!

Though the leaves on the tall oaks have thinned considerably, our window panes remain candy boxes of red, orange and gold.  That time of year again.  Halloween days away.  When we shut off the outdoor spigots for fear of frost and burst pipes.  And we've waited til the last possible minute to lug in the remains of the garden, the salvageable herbs that can be brought in for the winter and then taken back out again next spring!  

What a thrill it is to invite these summer friends back inside!  Fragrant, bountiful greenery at a time when the rest of nature is going into hibernation.  We spray off mossy pots and turn them on end to lift our new housemates to sunny heights!  Each morning they quiver with joy as I mist them all over.  (Thanks for the suggestion Pamela!)

And I am beside myself… adding fresh mint to my honey tea, oregano to my egg salad sandwiches, sage browned butter over gnocchi (recipe coming soon)… It feels like Christmas to me!  I suppose it's the sudden population of frangrant greenery that brings me back.  A lovely prelude to the holidays!

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Peppermint loves his new digs in the Dining Room!

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Rosemary thinks her new room-mate, Peppermint, is kinda cute!

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Oregano and Sage are particularly fond of their daily spray bottle mistings.

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One happy family! (L to R) Rosemary #2 in the breakfast room alongside roomies Spearmint, Sage & Oregano!

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Lighting Event

We were on the edge of our seats guessing at the winner in the dessert round on Chopped, when our power went out.  Heavy, wet snow had been rapidly accumulating to the measure of about 6 inches per hour so we weren’t terribly surprised.  But wait, what was that orangey-blue-red glow flickering outside?

Our entire yard, then neighborhood, lit up in 360 for as far as the eye could see… what the heck was going on?  Was our roof on fire?  What should we do?  We soon realized the five minute mega light show was courtesy of two fallen power lines.

Followed by a very cold and uncomfortable three days without power.

Should one be taking anything for granted, there’s nothing like the absence of life’s basic necessities to put things back into perspective:-)  So I dedicate this post to light!

I love the warmth and coziness various lighting options provide.  Carrying on a tradition from childhood, we enjoy eating by candlelight every evening at dinnertime.  Tiny stained-glass night-lights pave the way in the kitchen and upstairs near the guest room.  Wintertime window candles and tiny lamps cheer up otherwise dark corners at night.  For parties, I light tons of miniature glass votives on all the windowsills and transoms, and I add hurricane lanterns going up the stairs for ambiance.

There are infinite ways to utilize lighting creatively within your decor.  Here are a couple of my paintings (watercolors on Winsor Newton paper) and photos illustrating a few fav’s from my home.

 

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