The Worst Winter in a Very long Time

It's official: this has been the worst winter in a very long time and there are still two more months to endure.  This morning's forecast included the prediction that another Arctic cold front [for some reason, this is now called a vortex] is coming our way.  This one will bring even colder temperatures than the two previous ones.  At least the sun has made an appearance today after being conspicuously absent for two dreadfully overcast and snowy weeks.  It is still quite cold at 17 degrees, though there is the promise of a high of 18 degrees this afternoon.  Ah, a veritable heat wave!  But at least it is bright. Everyone has been talking about Seasonal Affective Disorder lately as if it were a modern day plague.

I have already had to cancel Tuesday classes five times because of weather this winter and may have to do so yet again.  One would think this would all make for good stitching weather but that's not the way it is turning out for me.  Even wearing warm cashmere gloves on my short drive home from work leaves my fingers very cold and cramped.  I don't know whether it's rheumatism or arthritis or simple age, but it takes nearly an hour of cradling my hands round hot mugs of tea.to limber up enough to stitch.

But some stitching has been done and here is a photo as proof.  I have finished the second color of satin stitches, DMC 799, and have started on the third, DMC 817.  There is still the fawn, DMC 3770, to work inside the navy blue squares and in all the olive green connecting diagonals, as well as some green in the ;eaves of the floral motif and another shade of blue in the crosses in the octagons.  Then it is on to the Algerian Eyelet and the few little straight stitches.  With only three more days in the month, it is doubtful that this band will be done before February.