Texas weather is always fickle this time of year. I joke a lot that we have two weeks of fall and two weeks of spring and everything else is just hot or cold. We had our two weeks of fall this year, actually I think it was a little more than two weeks, and this week, winter decided to show up.

I’m lucky I’m a quilter – when it gets cold I just throw another two quilts on the bed and everybody is happy, especially the cat. In the evening after work, I’ve been sitting in my big chair working on my hand pieced quilt, and I don’t mind at all having the bulk of the quilt top piled up on my lap keeping me warm. The cat likes that too, I should note.

This is my favorite time of year. Hot cups of tea and hand knit socks keep me warm. All of the things that I enjoy doing are both useful and welcome this time of year. I put a pot of chili on yesterday morning and let it simmer all day, filling the house with a wonderful aroma. I’ll have six or seven meals in the freezer out of this for days when I don’t have time to cook.

I know it will warm up again next week. I know the temperature will rise and fall like a rollercoaster – it is Texas after all, but this week has been a wonderful time to revel in all the things I love about winter. I probably won’t be this happy about it in February, but it’s my second winter at the farm and I’m excited about that. I’ll keep cooking and sewing and knitting as this year winds down. Got to look for the joy where we can find it.