Having begun the month (and year) warm and sunny, we had a few middling weeks of single-digit negative temperatures. It rained on the weekend, quite prodigiously. And then yesterday, the temperature took a giddy plunge into Manitoba temperatures. We hit somewhere around -35 with the windchill last night, and today and tomorrow are supposed to be sunny but in the -18 to -25 range. That’s frozen-nosehairs cold. We usually get a week or so of similar cold (although we didnt last year), but it’s never my favourite. I went out in a snowstorm yesterday in order to have provisions on hand such that we would not need to stir out the door until the cold backs off. It wouldnt be my idea of a good time to haul 3 childten and an infant out in that kind of weather – especially as the snowstorm to which I alluded rendered the driveway once again impassable to the vehicle. That’s a LONG walk when your eyeballs are freezing to your eyelids. The sunshine is nice, though.

Unfortunately, all of the freeze/thaw, rain/snow has our firewood on the damp side, so the stove is requiring much babying to keep up to the demands. We need to bring a goodly amount inside, I think. The goat stalls are currently empty. We could easily pack a cord of wood in there. It isnt insulated in that part of the building, but the warmer days would allow the snow to thaw off it. To be worked on.

My usual winter pursuit of planning the spring planting is well underway. Our seed order went in last week, and one of the plant orders. There is one plant/tree order waiting in my cart. I put one dish of seeds requiring stratification (Sweet Cicely) out last week and have 3 more that need to go out as soon as I can get another bag of soil (Fernleaf Biscuitroot, Agrimony, Old English Lavender).

I sat and listed on one page everything I have already planted or have yet to plant this year, and it is…long

Some of those will need to spend a year in a pot before they are large enough to plant out, some will not germinate until next year, some may not germinate at all, but it should be enough to keep me busy. If not, I also have a garden bed or three to build, mulching to do, and  posts to set for fencing, for trellissing, for pasturage, for birdhouses….

I started an indoor project this week, too. This piece of furniture was white when I bought it.

As with many white things, it has merely grown dingier as the years have passed. White also doesnt fit into my eventual kitchen colourscheme. My kitchen will have dark wood countertops, greywash shaker-style cabinets with copper inserts in the doors, and cast iron hardware. To that end, I am transforming this piece by way of a wee bit chalk paint.

I’ve a ways to go, obviously. Each bit needs cleaned, sanded, then painted, then touched up, but it’s coming along. I have some particularly badly-applied, old, brittle caulk to dig out of the door panels and new caulk to apply. Eventually, I’ll probably distress and wax it also. Might as well distress it on purpose, as it’ll end up distressed regardless. Eventually, I’ll sand down the top, dark-stain and seal it. Yes, the piece is an antique and some people would swallow their tongues over what I’m doing to it, but I buy antique pieces because I like them, not because they’re entirely authentic (this one  had already been ‘refinished’ before I bought it. Badly, at that), and certainly not for any particular value. It should end up not only quite a handsome piece, but one that will wear well, and that fits in seamlessly into my kitchen-to-be.