The Gypsy Caravan 2023

Friday, January 29, 2021

Winter Inside

Hello!  It's with a mixture of envy and joy that I read posts from my blog friends in the south and other parts of the world where the temperatures are well above freezing and gardens are in bloom -- or at least a lot closer to that glorious state than they are here!


Between winter and the Covid situation, I'm venturing out rarely. That's not all that different from a lot of winters, but at least in the past, an excursion to Home Goods or lunch out with a friend could break up those long days. It's a long haul, but we're getting by!


Rick and his brothers are working hard to get things well set up for their mom. When he's not doing that (or work -- he still works), he's trying to get in as much cross country skiing as he can. So my kitchen display is dedicated to him!


These figures are all ones my mom had in her collection. I really love their cheerful faces! They have such personality!


They are a collection of skiers, climbers and even a golfer. They make me smile.


I've been in the kitchen a lot lately. The other day I went on a quick-bread making jag and turned out four loaves of pumpkin and apple bread. Madeleines are on the cooking agenda today. 


Because at times like this, we need something sweet!

 

Winter is a good time for tea and these cute British icon tea tins are another thing that makes me smile.


So does this cute fellow...


...and the little friends by one of my favorite winter trays (bad lighting, but hey, that's life. I'm not Annie Leibovitz.)

The snowfolk have taken to appearing in other spots around the house, too. I love changing up the cabinet with the seasons.


Although it would probably be smart to take the Christmas plates down! Still, I really love them! And besides, who sees them but me?!


My stress test results were pretty good so for now and till Rick and I are fully vaccinated, we're using meds to deal with the a-fib. So far, no side effects and I'm hoping we can take care of it with just the meds indefinitely. From my point of view, this was the best possible outcome. Meanwhile, I've been painting a little and doing some Valentine decorating (more on that to come). And, during the Bernie-meme craze, I had my own fun adding Bernie to photos.


This one says it all.


Keep cozy, people. And keep wearing your masks.

Sharing with:    Pink Saturday      /     Love Your Creativity     /     Tuesday Turn About     /      Share Your Style       /       Let's Keep in Touch

59 comments:

  1. Those ski folks are adorable. What treasures. We don't have enough snow to ski, which is a good or bad thing depending on the temperatures or how ambitious one feels. Very cold right now, so I did a bunch of reading today. Any good books on your end? The baking sounds wonderful too. Have a wonderful weekend Jeanie. Hugs-Erika

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  2. shoveling with Bernie, that is the BEST!! Your house is as cheerful as you are, I see. I am not jealous of your snow, having grown up in six foot drifts- no thank you! Spring right around the corner and a vaccine i hope! LOVE

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  3. Your decorating creativity knows no bounds. I can see why you love those cheerful little ladies. And of course, Bernie memes are just so darn cute popping up all over the place.

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  4. Love all of your darling folk on your kitchen display, Jeanie! Such cute little people with personalities. The Bernie meme with Rick shoveling made me laugh out loud! And the one with the Eiffel Tower is great. Keep smiling and stay well!

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  5. I'm so glad things with your health are under control and so jealous that you know how to make your own Bernie memes lol! Have a great weekend Jeanie :)

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  6. Love how you do this for your Rick.
    And what a cute collection this is.Apple bread? Can you give the recipe? Oh, ok, sweet, nah, not for me then. But it looks good!
    LOL, love the Bernie-pics!

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  7. I love your seasonal decor. You bring smiles to everyone.

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  8. Your kitchen display is so sweet. I just adore the snowman teapot. Glad you are able to control your afib until it is safe to try other treatments. I don't suppose there's a recipe link for that delicious pumpkin apple bread? Looks like something I would really enjoy {with butter}

    Waving~~~Deb in Wales

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  9. Glad you are keeping well and active. The skiing dolls are pretty! I'm home for a 'test' weekend to see how well I can cope, it feels good to be here- Hugs, Valerie

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  10. Hello, Jeanie

    I just loved all your ski people and the snowman. The pumpkin and apple bread look yummy. The Bernie memes have been funny, I think yours are great too. Bernie has been a good sport about the memes. Hang in there, take care and stay safe! Have a happy weekend!

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  11. I am quite sure that Bernie is keeping a close eye on Rick to ensure that he doesn't overdo it, and perhaps Bernie is also checking that Rick is following approved health and safety measures. Good to have a benevolent supervisor close at hand. For most of us she is called wife!

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  12. mmmm...pumpkin bread and apple bread. I am thinking of making some lemon bread this weekend.

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  13. ן think Bernie's 'career' has just started. Not sure he and his fellow democrats are happy about that as the picture has 'stolen' the show from the Inauguration, and might be used politically by the opponents. But, hey, who cares; it puts a smile on our face and that's good.
    "..keep wearing your masks" - great advice, as people wrongly believe vaccination sets them free regarding masks.

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  14. Jeanie, I loved your little ski display for Rick. I really like your sense of humor too. That Bernie, he's everywhere these days. Praying for you. Stay strong and safe. Blessings, oxox, Susie

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  15. Jeanie, I enjoy your winter scenes to keep cozy at home, and your outdoor scene with Bernie supervising Rick shoveling snow is a hoot! I've been baking too. So glad you are satisfied with your stress test results and having satisfactory results with meds. Sweets are a definite prescription for winter doldrums!

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  16. Your winter decor is so charming! Those breads look really delicious.

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  17. Ha, ha, I enjoyed your play with Bernie. Well done. I also enjoyed all your ski figurines. Very cute. I haven't been baking much in the way of sweet breads but by I have been churning out fresh bread every week. I think tomorrow I'll buy someone else's bread for a change, lol. You are doing well to get the vaccinations done and I'm glad the medicines are working for you.

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  18. Your figurines of snow men and skiers are great, as you say, very cheering. I always like the glimpses of what is in or on your book shelves and what-not shelves.

    be safe... mae at maefood.blogspot.com

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  19. Jeanie, I love all your snow people. But then I love snow. Your snow cream snowman brought back memories of my mom sending me out with a huge bowl for snow and she would make snow cream. I would do that now - too many things in the air.

    I keep a Christmas piece of needlework up all year. It makes me happy - so don't worry about your Christmas plates.

    Love your photos with Bernie. Have a great weekend, Jeanie. Stay well!

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  20. I am glad you are doing well on meds alone. And that bread, it looks so good. Love the Bernie inserts into your photos. Big smile!

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  21. I'm glad you can control things with meds for now. I hope that keeps being the case. I also hope things are going smoothly as regards organization of things for Rick's Mom.

    Hey, if you can't meet up with friends for tea and something sweet, have it at home with Lizzie (even if she's likely to nap through it like the doormouse in Alice In Wonderland). Or, maybe have an afternoon tea or a crafternoon - or an afternoon of both crafting and tea - via Zoom or something.

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  22. Lovely post Jeanie, it made me smile. Ditto everything you said about going out in winter. I don't go out much in January but I do miss the occasional lunch or coffee with friends. Your skiing display is delightful. I needed something sweet today so I made some brownies (well me and Betty Crocker!) x

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  23. The Bernie memes are great! Those were so fun to look at after the inauguration. Too funny. I love the ski people! They just make me smile!!

    I am glad you are on your way to being vaccinated. That will be a game changer. I can’t wait for our parents to be vaccinated. My parents didn’t win a spot in the lottery. No surprise there since so many entered. I can’t wait to get mine. Until then we will do what you are doing and barely venture out. I have been doing masked walks with friends when the weather is mild enough. I am glad the weather has been pretty mild this month!! Feels good to have one of the worst months of winter behind us!!

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  24. I love the Bernie memes, but they'll come to an end eventually! Here's hoping real Bernie doesn't suffer any such fate!

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  25. Love all your cute winter fun collectibles and how you display them. Cute idea for a nod to Rick and his winter fun. Glad for the best outcome for the A-fib with meds. I'm glad your stress test is behind you. You have made some of my favorite breads, maybe this will inspire me to get into the kitchen to bake. Something sweet sounds like a good idea! Happy weekend......PS, Scheduled for first injection here, so thankful.......

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  26. I'm totally loving all the things you have on display, those dolls are adorable. And, of course Berny---supervising, LOL. Hugs, Sandi

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  27. So glad you are doing well with the medication. The Bernie memes were so hilarious. There is even a Bernie crochet little doll sitting like that mask and mittens on. It has been the laughter we all need these days. Stay safe.

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  28. I love the Bernie memes, they're so great! Glad to hear you are fully vaccinated!! :) Those figures are so pretty!! :)

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  29. You are working hard to keep your spirits up. Good for you. In the process, you are also keeping our spirits up, too. Look at all those charming decorations. I bet they do make you smile.

    Yes, it won't be long, and we'll be able to safely venture out again. I may have to take a class to relearn my social skills!

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  30. How nice to have a collection from your mom! Janice

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  31. Jeanie, the skiers from your mom are darling and so perfect for this time of year. I am so glad your tests turned out so well, continue to take care of yourself. I would love a slice of apple or pumpkin bread with my coffee this morning. Your Bernie memes are too funny. I have enjoyed seeing them all over social media, a pause for a good laugh helps during these times.

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  32. I’m leaving this generic message so you don’t think I’m a flake. I didn’t feel good Friday, and when I woke, the entire area around the eye that got damaged last summer had swollen so badly, I couldn’t open it. After speaking with the vision specialist, the soonest I can get in is Monday morning. I am not to wear the eye patch I was given in case it might exacerbate the swelling, but I am to take the eyedrops I was given from before. Thanks for understanding why I haven’t been to visit you. Love your Bernie memes.

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  33. I love your British icon tea tins.

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  34. Wish I can have a taste of your bread and yes, Madeleines! Just think, January is gone and soon we'll have March, and spring.:)

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  35. I love the winter decorations, especially the snow people :) The tea tins are wonderful. I'm glad to hear your stress test turned out well. Congrats on getting the vaccine! Hopefully we'll all soon join you :)

    I've gotten such a kick out of the Bernie memes lol

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  36. Bernie & Mittens are becoming media celebrities. So glad Rick can ski. We don't have enough snow here...As always, love your manifestations of positivity, Jeanie!

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  37. I'm loving the Bernie craze.
    And got the HH that center tin (at Home Goods. Heh) filled with toffee:)
    We're still trying to get our first vaccine.
    Stay safe. Be well.

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  38. What a fun post! You've got me smile for sure ~ Between Bernie, the snowmen, and the skiers ~ Cuteness abounds :) Stay warm and keep finding the funnies!

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  39. Your figures are delightful!
    Funny photos. It is a perfect Bernie pose.

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  40. Love your dolls-they are cheerful-I think we have all had a spot of weather. We did a drive up to Beverly Hills last weekend-we got macarons from Lauderee and a cup of tea-sitting in the car as the rain poured down and then hail. Very romantic date. eating macarons and drinking tea in the car. haha

    Your dolls are beyond sweet-how can you not smile looking at them. You have to tell me how you did the Bernie memes. They are priceless.

    PS we have a ginger cat named Oliver who stops by to visit. Lucy the dog is not fond of him =she knows my Oliver voice and becomes very suspicious and jealous when she hears it. He is a doll.

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  41. Seeing Bernie made me smile. We haven't been out walking in the last 3 days. Too cold. Maybe tomorrow we can venture out.
    Your Pumpkin bread looks delicious.

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  42. I love your skiing & hiking figures -- they are so expressive, so much fun. And a little sugar is always handy for helping "the medicine go down." Glad you are finding some ways to endure the dreariness of Michigan January.

    Just came across the perfect poem for it (with thanks to Brian Bilson):

    Thirty days have September,
    April, June and November, unless a leap year is it’s fate,
    February has twenty eight
    but all the rest have three days more...
    excepting January, which has six thousand
    one hundred and eighty four.


    Glad it is coming to an end!


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  43. I'm the ski gal in the red coat, Jeanie! Your breads look delicious. A little snow here but not enough - we really need a big storm. That Bernie seems to be supervising everywhere! Stay well.

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  44. I love your displays! Those little skiers are so cute and cheerful.

    And the Bernie memes crack me up - I love that he was in France with you.

    I need to get my husband to make Madelines again soon, now. Lol. I love them!

    Great news from your stress test. Hang in there friend, winter doesn't last forever. :) Soon we will see the flowers and birds of spring again.

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  45. There are those cute lights again!!! Love them. I have a mix that I need to go in the kitchen and make, pumpkin bread. Really need to get up and stop blogging and do that....yep, sounds good. Yours looks good!

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  46. Keeping busy COVID style. Love the memes

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  47. Lots of cheer to go around here! Your baking looks delicious. Perfect for a cold winter day. A cozy February to you!

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  48. haha.. cute memes.
    Love those skiers and variety of snowmen in your winter decor.

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  49. What sweet ski people and snow people too.
    Glad the meds are helping.
    Smiling at the Bernie pictures. I was tempted, but just enjoying everyone elses.
    Your breads look delicious. I love having those sort of breads in my freezer to pull out to have with tea at times. Yummm! Madeleine's too. Love the tea tins! Of course you knew I would.

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  50. The Bernie Memes make me Smile every time I see one. Actually Bernie makes me Smile every time I hear him, he's so Passionate and I can see that is why all my Adult Grandkids gravitated to him, his Endorsement even made a couple of my Grandkids Vote for the first time instead of being so discouraged they wouldn't have otherwise. Anyway, it's tough to be a Young Person right now, their World, literally, has been rocked to the Core and Worldwide, so it's difficult for them to Trust older Generations to fix what has been so cocked up, mostly by Man and mostly by whose been in Charge that often does not adequately represent their Generation. Those Collectibles do indeed have such Personality and are Adorable, just the thing to Decorate with during a Pandemic Winter. Be Well, stay Safe and I won't torment you with what our weather is like in the Desert. *Winks*

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  51. Darling ski people and pumpkin bread makes me smile. A cozy winter day to enjoy the beauty and and also the warmth of your lovely home.

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  52. Such a lovely post.
    I do like all of your ski folks and snowman, great decorations/décor.
    The Bernie memes have been so good and yours here are wonderful.

    Take care.

    All the best Jan

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  53. Glad the medication is working for you. Love your small displays all over your house, I'm sure they bring you a smile every time you walk past them. Been enjoyable the Bernie memes, and the one with Rick shoveling the snow is hilarious 😁

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  54. So many smiles over here:)
    Thanks for keeping record of the loveliness,
    JENnifer

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  55. Love those sweet snow people!! so cute!! And the Bernie pictures made me laugh!!
    Hugs,
    Deb

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