Winter of 2025-26 has been very eventful with my official breast cancer diagnosis in early December. Several of my December days were filled with appointments, making many trips to Winston Salem. Then came January… Surgery, recovery, and radiation all during the remaining winter months.
I did find time to snap a few pictures that I loved in this unique season of my life and compiled for a Winter memory album. Photography is an outlet for not only creativity, but the beauty that comes to my mind as I go about my daily activities, essential for hope and a great force in cancer recovery. All of these captures are from right here in our beautiful home, Wilkes County.
I hope you will enjoy these pictures as much as I have in a winter season filled with challenges, hope for healing and yet grace abounded in the winter season of 2025-2026.
I personally enjoy the winter season in regard to photography, the contrast of the starkness of barren trees with the vibrant colors of sunrise. I have organized this blog so that you can witness the evolution of the winter with a glimpse into each month of the winter season.
Thanks for supporting my blog and I deeply appreciate all of your prayers.
Clear December SkiesHope Abounds…December morning sunrise taken about a week after my cancer diagnosis… I now view the pink skies as a beautiful sign of HOPE.Perfection!!! Last Sunrise of 2025Happy New Year!!! The First 2026 SunriseJanuary Rainbow SunriseSnowy January MorningThe Hope of SpringEvergreen GloryJanuary Sunset over the MountainsA Rainbow of Colors in Evening SkyGood Night Y’allGood Morning Blue Ridge!Foggy February Winter MorningMarch SkiesMarch Morning GlowHope Reigns in the March Pink SkiesMuted March SkiesBlue Skies Ahead Stormy March Morning… Thunder Rolls March Storm Cloud Watch… Black and WhiteGood Morning!!March Red Sky in Morning
March is in Bloom… The Hope of Spring
March Yellow DaffodilsAnother cute little ButtercupLenten Rose beginning to blossomForsythia
Pup Interlude…
Cookie posing for the camera 📷My little sunshine seeker… JoyJethro… morning nap timeOur sweet little crew of pups… Cookie, Joy and Jethro (Ro)
The Winter season officially began December 21st and will end on March 20th. From cold wintry temperatures, a few snowy days, and even icy morning conditions the winter weather has been season to remember in 2025. Thanks for the beautiful photographic memories Winter!
FYI: Two photos below have active links to more recent blog posts!!!! (New Orleans and Cloud Dancing) Please check those out as well 😊
Winter Solstice Sunrise New Beginnings… January 1, 2025 Golden Sunrise Icy morning Waiting on the SnowIt begins… A new coat of white… snowy afternoon Snowy Morning Snow Day Snowy Branches Crunchy! A Walk into the Woods Snow on the Mountains Sunset at Buck Mountain after the Snow Snow Capped Golden Hour Looking into the Valley January Wolf MoonWinter BeautyHello Sunshine Colorful Sunrise Pink Sky Winter Sunrise Glory Drama in the Sky Rainbow SunriseWinter Days are Lazy Days, JOY All wrapped up, COOKIEWinter BloomsMorning CoffeeNew OrleansCloud DancingButterfly SkyMarch MasterpieceMagical March Sunrise Lavender Sky A Little Floral Volunteer… a prelude to SpringReady to emerge In full bloom Hello Buttercup!New Growth
The festivities of Christmas and New Year are complete. The decorations are boxed up for another year, and the cold, brisk winter weather looms ahead. Will we have snow to look forward to this month???
The answer is yes! Snow on January 10th, 2025!
January can be a bit of “let down” after the holidays. So how do we celebrate one of the all time coldest months of the year? January is like eating an elephant… you can’t tackle it at once, but you can manage it one bite at a time, as the old saying goes.. January, take it ONE day at a time!
Here’s to celebrating the long, cold, brisk, windy January days, one day at a time, breaking it down into manageable chunks, offering a bit of sunshine on an icy, bitter cold January Day. Have fun this January with a few trips and stops inside Wilkes County Hardware this January, warming by the old-fashioned wood stove. You never know what you might find that you need!
January Days
1st- New Year’s Day– a feast of cornbread, black-eyed peas, greens, and pork, and New Year’s Resolutions. Stop by Wilkes County Hardware to grab a new cast iron skillet this month!!
5th- National Bird Day– Winter is the perfect time to watch and enjoy the birds feeding in your yard. Stop by to pick up a new bird feeder, suet, or bird food
Stop by Wilkes County Hardware to pick up your winter suet, feeders, feed and more!
6th- Epiphany (3 Kings Day)– Celebrating the arrival of the Wise Men, many observe this as the official end of the Christmas season
9th- Static Electricity Day… no one likes this problem during the winter! Bring more humidity into your home, add lotion to hands to help fight it. Carry a coin with you or even a bolt 🔩, pocket knife…. You get the gist to reduce the risk.
These lotions are selling fast during the winter months at Wilkes County Hardware
10th- Houseplant Appreciation Day. Winter is the perfect time to enjoy those green plants!
11th- International Thank You Day- send a note of thanks to someone today!
12th- National Sunday Supper Day– Gather around the table and enjoy family time. Make it a weekly tradition in 2025.
Handcrafted by Keegan… a beautiful piece to add as a centerpiece of your Sunday Supper celebrations… Supper vs. Dinner
13th- Clean Off Your Desk Day– Time to tackle your desk, or any other surface areas that need to be cleaned! Stop by Wilkes County Hardware for some cleaning essentials.
Did you know that Wilkes County Hardware has a great selection of cleaning products???
15th- Hat Day– it’s definitely time for a new Wilkes County Hardware Hat today!
17th- Ditch New Year’s Resolutions Day… Don’t give up! It takes time to create a habit (like a few months of consistent practice ) remember the phrase, eating an elephant one bite at a time…
19th- National Popcorn 🍿 Day- Go watch a movie today at our nearby Liberty Theater and eat the famous popcorn!
20th- Blue Monday/Take Walk Outdoors Day- it’s time to get outside and enjoy the sunshine! Check out the blog post for more ideas on how to beat the winter blues
February… the shortest month of the year, and this year in 2024, Leap Year! February acts as a bridge month between the end of the winter season to the coming of Spring and time change.
I hope that your month of February was filled with sunshine, joy, love, and kindness. Onward to March and Spring! Here’s a few of my February favorites from 2024.
A beautiful gift from the heart… 💜
Favorite February Photo Captures
Purple Heart… February 1st SunriseV NeckBlue Skies… dotted our path along the Greenway, the water was remarkably still in several places along our path.Stay Gold– February 5thThat Touch of PinkMorning GlowTrailing Behind… Contrails marked the morning skies February 5thCatching sunset through the treesCotton Candy SunsetBetween Two Trees … Sunrise February 8thGolden Opportunity Touchdown! Clouds reaching down towards the mountains on a rainy February MondayA New Beginning… Fantastic Friday morning sunrise in February!Sunday Reset…The weekend offers a chance to recharge, refresh and reset your energy levels. This Sunday evening sunset didn’t disappoint. I’m definitely enjoying the later sunset times… Spring will be coming soon!Pushing Up… I almost walked right over this blooming beauty! This tiny little flower has found its space inside the concrete sidewalk.Blue Skies… Late February has brought warmer temperatures in the afternoon and bright blue skies.Cat Walk … as we walk on the Greenway we often spot the feral cats 🐈⬛. Here’s one enjoying the morning sunshine after trees have been cut down along the border of the Greenway near Smoot Park. Simply “Purrfect” … this kitty found the perfect place to enjoy a bit of morning sunshine
Creating in February
Making bread… tackling another challenge and it was fun, and tasty!Glazing Success!!! I created/made this acorn last fall. It was one of the first pieces that I made on my own at home. I had lots of help with the finishing touches from Kim Reid. After much discussion it went into the kiln for last firing in February. Thanks Kim!Bunny Building… learning to create something new with one of my besties!Glazed and finished!!! Too cute!!!
The Hardware Store… Favorite Photos from February
All Keyed Up… Key Contest fun inside Wilkes County Hardware this month… 353 keys inside the jar and yes, I counted them 🤪Wood… we go through a lot in day ! Valentine 💝 Gift ideas! Finding flowers inside the hardware store!Wood and roses…End cap switch out… right side was winter setEnd cap switch out… getting ready for springSpring Refresh continues by adding a touch of green to the front. Terrariums! I love this one with the bunny on top! What a great way to welcome Spring into your home!
Meanwhile back at the ranch…
My dishwasher died this month and hand washing the dishes has become a daily task until a replacement is found… here’s a few thoughts on the blog about hand washing dishes in case you missed it this monthhttps://hardwarelifewife.com/2024/02/12/all-washed-uphand-washing-dishes-a-chore-or-a-pleasant-dish-traction/New dishwasher ordered and installed by my boys February 25th.I make up the bed everyday and these two enjoy putting the pillows and blankets where they want them 🙄. It’s a “ruff 🐶 life.” First signs of blooms of my Lenten RoseFirst blooms! So exciting!!!Framing up a few favorite photos this February Bingo! Well, not this time, but we had fun playing with friends!I’ve been reading and researching about the 5 pockets of Centenarians found across the globe… called the Blue Zones. Each of these groups share similar characteristics that have increased their longevity. Netflix also has a documentary on the subject. Fascinating topic!!!
Spending time back on the regular big three networks as some of our favorite shows are back on air!!! Yah!!! Streaming in February… Apple TV Masters of Air, Netflix Sweet Magnolias, The Pacific, Living to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones, Super Bowl Sunday and much more!I have spotted the first blooms on one of my overgrown Forsythia… spring beckons as we approach March. Bring it on Spring!!!
January can be a long month… maybe verging on what seems like the month of never ending Mondays. So why not make the best of January???
January 2024… a new year
I have decided to take this year and document and capture memories… from our everyday life activities. Everything isn’t glamorous, we work long hours, 6 days a week, but Richard and I find time to share and unwind. I hope you enjoy a few of my favorite collected moments from January 2024 via photography.
It’s been a very cold and wet month to begin 2024. The wood stove has been going strong all month long inside the hardware store.January Saturday visits at the hardware store are the best! Bandit, and Tella stop by for a visit with Eric and Chelsea.
Early morning frost… crunching underfoot as we take our pups out in the early morning hours.
The frost has been heavy several mornings in the month of January 2024. The frost was hanging heavy on the trees during this sunrise capture on January 12th. The bare trees showing their beauty on this cold, foggy morning of January 16th. A rainbow of colors during this January sunrise This little frosty friend made his way home in January after weeks of work in pottery class. He’s a cutie pie! And yes, we are still wishing for some snow!Adding the green… after all the Christmas lights and decorations are gone, the house feels bare. This year I decided to add to my mantle with green garlands and a small lamp to bring some additional light. The sun sets earlier in winter months and lamp lights help keep the homey warmth feeling alive during the coldest months. Learn more about adding greenery, and more in the latest blog post https://hardwarelifewife.com/2024/01/13/fighting-the-winter-blues/This old wooden bowl is usually filled with my cloth napkins that we use each day. I do not think I have bought paper napkins in years! I wash and reuse my cloth napkins all the time… (many have been thrift finds). I decided to use this old bowl as a centerpiece for my mantle this January… bringing warmth and a different feel into our main living space. A nice change after the holiday season. Need a nice new wooden bowl??? Stop by to pick up a locally made one by Keegan Watson! Things I find in my washer… January edition Morning Cloud Study: A favorite January capture 💕 January Sunrise in progressCourage… I took a chance and enter 5 photos this year in the Blue Ridge Photography Overview … 2 were accepted. This one, which I titled, Walking On Water, won first place in the category of Everyday Life Photography. I am Honored and grateful to be included! If y’all remember, I had NEVER printed anything until last year… this was a huge step for me. A special deep thanks to everyone who continues to support and encourage me.Here’s my other photo that made the cut into the Juried Show… stop by Wilkes Art Gallery to view all the amazing work of local photographers between now and February 15th .
Our son now travels a lot for his work. Little did we know, that the “empty nesters” syndrome would find us quickly. It was unexpected and sudden when he began this job last spring. These two cute pups keep us entertained and the house busy with their playful activities.
Hello Mom… please pet me… love you, Cookie Nap times are the best times… JoyWhite Amaryllis – January blooms!!! Always a great blessing to see these bloom during the month of January, and thankful for sweet friends who send these!
Here’s my photo favorite for January y’all
The Promise…. January has been a wet, rainy month. Friday January 26th sunrise offered a glimpse of the beautiful day that was on the horizon.Friday January 26th… the only day in January that the front doors were open and at the hardware store… the weather was absolutely perfect. What a beautiful day!Staying warm in January and indoors, under a blanket… lots of tv 📺 watching this month due to the cold, rainy weather. Netflix: Fool Me Once, Sweet Magnolias, Apple TV: Masters of the Air, Criminal Record Hulu: How I Met Your Father just a few shows we streamed this month.Baking… I have been on a long extended break but with the arrival of my new cookbook over Christmas, I decided to try a small batch recipe. Marble cake with peanut butter buttercream was a definite hit.This January… Working a bit on my own doing some studio time… glazing and trying to learn how to make things myself.. I like the rustic look this piece has using red iron oxide. Can’t wait to see it all finished after the kiln.January 31st… Evidence that Spring will arrive soon! 🌷Who’s ready for February???
Living the "hardwarelife", join us in our journey of hardware store ownership
The Hardware Life - A wife's journey into the hardware business 