Icy creek

Today was a Christmas prep day. We finally got our tree up yesterday and today I started making candy. Silly me. I squandered the cold, dry days we had all week last week, which would have been much better for candy-making than today's misty, moist day, but couldn't be helped. I am trying the cranberry candy, which is so good, but which I had so much trouble getting to dry several years ago. I haven't made it since, but think I have a better recipe this time.

I went outside to cut some greens for the mantle and found that the creek has begun to thaw in beautiful and amazing ways.

Isn't that last one amazing? It was like needles of ice in a pile, while in other places the ice was still quite solid, encasing the fallen leaves.

I am sewing, but I don't want to show what I am making just yet. Things for Sofia. Dress-up play clothes have been the most fun so far. I knew I was on the right track when I learned that today she was wearing her Baptism dress over her turtleneck and jeans because it is kind of like a princess dress. Where does this love of girly, frilly stuff come from? I have come to believe that little girls are born with it.