Oh Look, It's Snowing!!

Winter in Minnesota is always looooong.

  November to the end of January is usually the worst - I go to work in the dark and come home in the dark.
We can have several days of temps well below zero, with bone-chilling windchills.

By the time we get into late February, I start to feel better.  The days are longer.  

March brings warmer temperatures, and pretty snowfalls that often melt.

Beautiful Blue Spruce in the back - evening of 4/22

Update at sunrise 4/23: 

And April, why April is just wonderful!

By the end of the month, some of the Crocus, Tulips and Daffodils are starting to bloom.

The pink flowered Crabapple trees and lilacs are getting ready to put on a show soon.

My huge Lilac bushes along the side

But here we are on April 22, and we are getting another winter storm.  

Mid-March weather in the back half of April!  

This is the 3rd 6-inch plus snowstorm in the past 10 days (or maybe 4th?).

My dirt driveway is a quagmire.  

Last Friday I was late to work because we got stuck in the mud under the heavy snow.

There is melting snow everywhere. 

We almost get rid of the snow, and another storm comes!

Ah, but inside there has been sunshine in the process of being created.

The April Schnibble - Hat Trick, is all pieced.

Fabric is Sassy by Sandy Gervais

Smokey decided to play "Tent"

Richard, will you please stop twirling around while Mom is taking pictures of me?
Ok, now why are you laying on the floor?  You're Dizzy?  

I love this color combo.  It might end up in my shop as a baby quilt.

I had purchased a Moda grab bag, so used the strips to create this.  

My borders don't exactly match because of this, but it gives it character, don't you think?

I will use some of the remaining strips to create a scrappy binding.

This coming Friday night and Saturday is Quilter's Night In/Day Out.  

It is like a mini-retreat but I sleep in my own bed.

My goal this time is to sandwich and quilt this ray of Sunshine.  

I want to have a completed quilt in the parade this time!

What are you doing to create Sunshine in your neck of the woods?

Blessed Sewing,

Karen

P.S., I about popped my buttons when I read this post by the lovely Sinta of Pink Pincushion.  

She was sharing information about the monthly Schnibbles and used some examples from last year.

If you scroll down to the last one, you will see my first Schnibble of 2012 - Full House!

That little quilt was such a learning experience and helped me start to find my color style.

4/23:  One more snow picture after the storm was finished - this is from outside my office: