Frozen

 Maybe it's just the frigid temperatures around here lately, I'm feeling almost frozen in time.  The days pass, but not much changes - everything is just creeping along.  It's almost like I'm hibernating in a way -  I get up and do what needs to be done, but I'm sort of sleep-walking through the days, just so I can get back in bed soon after dinner and cuddle under flannel-covered down comfortors with a good book or the TV remote.  Any of you feeling the same way?

Maybe it's partly because the girls had midterm tests this week, so they were not on their usual schedules.  This morning was the first morning all week that they all had to be up and out of the house by 7 (and of course, it's the coldest morning of all!).  Also, we're having carpet delivery issues so the completion of the bedroom-enlargement project downstairs is stalled and things are still somewhat in disarray.  It will be early February by the time the right carpet comes in (the manufacturer sent the wrong one last week), so we're making the best of it.  At the library, we are gearing up for the next session of Early Literacy programs, so things are beginning to move there.  I need to rev up myself up this weekend so I'll have enough energy to devote to my toddler and baby programs on Tuesday and Wednesday.  I signed up for a Kripalu Yoga class on Monday afternoons, and I'm hoping that will be a positive step towards better overall health and energy.

Meanwhile, when I have some spare time and energy, I've been working on my little "tunnel book," as you can see below.  I finished the first frame by gluing on the ribbon roses and leaves, and adding the wysteria vine along the right side.  I'm really happy with the way this part turned out...

so I started on the next layer.  This one was fun also, and I used fabric, felted wool roving, and embroidery thread to create it.  I still have some more details to add in the form of flowers in the foreground and hanging from the trees.  I think the tree on the right will be a weeping cherry.  The foundation for this is that thick, stiff interfacing (like Timtex) so it's a little hard on the fingers when I'm hand stitching.  That slows progress a bit, but I still hope to have it completed by the end of the month, so I can get moving on the next two projects waiting in the wings!