Christmas orders yet awaiting local pickup have been a clear indicator this winter’s yo-yo weather has wreaked havoc for many! Our household was not spared and I count my blessings for the many ways we were not affected [infected too].

During said winter quarantine I encouraged my troop to hunker down and weather the feverish storm.  JuneBug found a clearing of lethargy just as Sweet Potato and I were settling in to a morning slumber.

There was a sudden awakening, “Mommy, I need you!”

“Mommy, I want to make a craft.  Wake up.”

I’m sure there was much jostling at this point.  I do recall a cozy nestling feeling radiating an immense warmth through my body which pulled my eyelids heavily shut. I wished I was the mom that sprung into action when her child asked her to craft even under the influence of a desperate cold/flu.  Apparently  I tend not to take crafting so seriously.  I leave that to ECMC and an amazing lot of entrepreneurs I am privy to source.  I had neither the energy nor focus to craft.

JuneBug was thrilled to be feeling inspired.  I could hear it in his voice.  “Mommy remember the paper snake I made that one time?  I need to make one again since I can’t find him.”

Feverish, dreaming, sleep talking…I considered if he was old enough for crafting via YouTube.

When SweetPotato woke minutes later I admit I handed him a box of tissues to empty one by one.

Eventually we made our way to the kitchen table.  We glued paper together, stuck toilet paper tubes with brads, folded airplanes and stamped celery stalks into paint.  I put aside the tissue box and SweetPotato played with stickers and large wooden beads.

A day spent at home called for me to kick it up a notch on the craft box.  A six year old’s brain is wired like a Pinterest board.

The Easter Egg colouring kit is already on order and the paper snake parts are in a stapled paper bag just waiting to be put together.  Nurtured is now fully stocked in art supplies mind you.  I’d suggest you thank the winter germs for inspiration, but I’m not planning on seeing them anytime soon.

In the cold, dead of winter, it’s good to be reminded of the beauty of nature.

I awoke early this morning to the sound of my neighbour shoveling the sidewalks.

I thought of Saturday’s mix of brisk air and sunny skies and was grateful it called my family outdoors to play in the garden before the storm. We watched as Junebug smashed blocks of ice from forgotten flower pots and then poked around the shed for more. I pointed out signs of life to the boys in the form of buds on dormant trees and bushes. I know they didn’t truly share my interest. Junebug and Sweet Potato were simply excited I took out the giant loppers to snip away a few branches.

What they don’t know is I’m hoping to work a little wintertime magic.

In the weeks to come I’ll put a vase of forced magnolias or forsythia branches in the shop. (Fingers crossed for beginner’s luck!)

The local groundhog predicts it will be six more weeks of winter. The snow shoveling continued outside lulling me to sleep like white noise. I thanked God for not only one magnolia tree but two, a fresh supply of Anointment’s shea butter, scrubby herbal clay cleanser and 2013 swimwear order forms.