Can you believe it is that time of year again? I know... I really can't either!  But, the middle of February has passed, and it is time to start our tomatoes and peppers here in the northwest.  We have such a short growing season that we have to give our plants a huge headstart. I did not start seeds last week, as the entire world, it seemed was in a deep freeze!  

We did get some snow here last week, but it was very minimal, and while our temperatures hovered around 7 at the lowest point, with a windchill in the minuses, it was not too bad.  We are used to those kind of temperatures here this time of year and are prepared for them. I walk no matter the weather, and just bundled up with a few more layers, and I was perfectly warm and cozy as I walked in those temperatures.  Of course, the dogs are so blessed... they are perfectly suited to this kind of weather as well! In fact, they loved every minute of it! 

We own a Mr. Buddy propane heater, and use it for added comfort and warmth on cold days, and as a source of secondary heat.  As you can see, Riley enjoys this heat as well! The Buddy heater is a very safe alternative for heating in the case of very cold weather, we have used it for many years.

My heart went out to those living in Texas and across the south who suffered from far more extreme temperatures than we have even seen here this winter, and lost power!  It would be miserable even for us here, should that have been the case.  But having lived many years in Texas, I know how unprepared homes are for such weather, and how unbelievable that such cold weather came, and stayed for so long. Thankfully all of my family and friends survived the miserable weather.  Some had pipes burst, but those can be fixed.  Were any of you affected by the extreme weather this past week? You all were in my thoughts and prayers throughout the week.  It was such an unusual, really historical event. 

Today it was so wonderful to see the sunshine and blue skies!

As the dogs and I walked, we lifted our faces to the sun, and enjoyed every bit of it! We get little precious sunshine here in the winter, and when we do get it, we love it!

I spent time in my greenhouse today planting peppers and tomatoes, along with some greens, sunflowers and sweet peas. I am allowing myself to get excited about spring now, although we no doubt have more winter weather before spring truly arrives.

February always brings warm weather during the day, and freezing at night, which means... ice.  So February is the month where we are very careful when walking, because ice is always underfoot! I enjoyed the glorious sunrise one morning as it colored the world in bright orange rays!

I was blessed to see this local herd of elk recently.  This was before we got our last snowstorm, and you can see what a mild winter we are having... no snow on the ground in late February! Aren't they magnificent creatures though!

It is always such a treat to see wildlife in our area.

During the winter, I take the time, if I have the time, to make myself a cup of tea, and it is a perfect opportunity to sit, pray and talk to the Lord as you drink the tea.  Tea and prayer are great companions :)

Here we are, in the last week of February, and spring is around the corner! I am sure that the first blooms of spring won't be far away now, as I've already seen a few green shoots coming out of the ground!  I look forward to seeing crocus, daffodils and tulips before long! How about you? Are signs of spring arriving after the cold freeze last week?  

There is an old saying that says "springtime snow is poor man's fertilizer"... well... I hope that rings true for all of us this year, don't you?! 

 Today I want to share a delightful experience that took place over 8 years ago.  A dear friend of mine and I visited a local teahouse together.  We were treated to a 5-course meal in a charming home served by the owner in a most delightful setting.  It was a treasured time for both of us.  I've always wanted to create a memory book of that visit, but have never gotten around to doing it. 

Recently I became a member of a digital scrapbooking group where each month the members receive incredibly beautiful digital files to use in their own projects. The Handmade Club's owner Kerry-Anne lives in Australia, and she is a precious soul who crafts the most beautiful files and shares them with her private member's group (which is VERY reasonably priced!) and as well, on her website, she also shares a lot of freebies.  I have dabbled in digital scrapbooking for years, but paper scrapbooking and card-making will always be my first love.  The nice thing about Kerry-Anne's digital creative work is that you can print them out yourself, or you can use them digitally, making it a win-win for me :) 

January's kit for the Handmade Club was titled "Teatime Friends".  I knew when I saw this kit that I needed to create a digital scrapbook of our visit to the Foxwood Tea House. 

So, today I am going to share with you my digital scrapbooking pages created with Kerry-Anne's most recent member's kit, Teatime Friends.  Now, I am not a pro at Photoshop at all, but her images make the work of creating a digital scrapbook quite simple and so much fun!  I smiled as I created, remembering the special Mother's Day tea that my dear friend Robin and I were able to attend.  Sadly, this tea house has since closed down, in fact, it closed not long after we had this tea together.  But I'm thankful for the special memories that we were able to make together and to be able to share them here with you today.

I hope you enjoyed my fun trip back through time into this delightful tea house!  We have no other tea room in our area any longer, and that makes me sad, as I dearly love tea-time adventures :) 

Even though Foxwood Tea House is no longer available to visit... my daily tea time adventures always continue.  Canadian-born soul that I am, taking a daily tea is a precious time to me.  I enjoy coffee in the morning with my Bible and Jesus, but in the afternoon, if time allows for it, tea-time is a chance for me to correspond with dear friends.  I try to write several cards a week to friends that around the world.  I also teach a bible study once every two weeks and hold a ladies prayer meeting in my home each week, so I often share tea with those ladies as well.  There is something special about tea, prayer and fellowship with dear friends who love the Lord! 

I must have color in my world!  This time of year, I enjoy fresh tulips from the local market, until the day that they bloom in my own garden :)

Something about their bright colors bring joy into my heart!

I made this little scripture journal some time ago, and keep it in a place where I can read the scriptures often, and see them as I am at work around my home. It is good to have scriptures in places around your home to remind you of the promises of the Lord throughout the day.

I am hopelessly in love with teacups, and even though I live in a very tiny home (less than 800 square feet), I have created a space in front of our living room window to display my favorite teacups.

Reading one of my favorite magazines... Tea Time... and I have a certain furry orange-haired dear soul that loves to come and join me for my perusal through the magazine {smiles}!

Carnations in a pretty vase... pearls and ribbons...

With Valentine's Day just around the corner, I've decorated with a few touches of red and pink throughout my home.