Getting Ready for NatureWorks
By Rachelle Siegrist
Well, as I’m sure you’ve figured out by now, I missed posting last weekend. It’s a long story, so I will graciously shorten it for you. I drove us home from Charleston, Monday two weeks ago, in snow and sleet, with a sick Wes in the passenger seat. Thankfully I managed to stay well for a couple of days after returning home, long enough to unpack from the trip, wash clothes and get a few other things done, while taking care of Wes. Then Wednesday, a week and a half ago, it snowed. Since I was still well, and Wes was snug inside with plenty to drink, I decided to go out and make a few sled runs . . . why not!
Hang on . . . here we go!
Dinner party on the porch anyone?
Sitting on my sled, perched atop the hill, I gazed up at the surrounding woods. The clouds had finally parted, allowing the sun to once again shine down, filling the ice covered trees with what appeared to be thousands of diamonds, each one displaying the full spectrum of colors in a rainbow. Needless to say, it was absolutely stunning as I looked around, and unlike anything I had ever seen before! I quietly sat there for several minutes just admiring this wonder of nature, then decided it was time to take the first ride, then the 2nd, 3rd and so forth and so on. Sometime later I decided I had better go back in and check on Wes and get busy. Little did I know while enjoying my sled time, that the bomb was going to drop that night, and Thursday morning I too would wake up with a fever, bad sore throat . . . and no voice to boot!
The crepe myrtle looking gorgeous decked out in snow!
Our snow encrusted road out front
Ha . . . I escaped!!!
What a pickle we were in, both feebly trying to take care of the other. Thankfully, while still well, I had made a large pot of soup, so at least we had plenty of healthy food already made. Friday, we managed to get the van slowly up the snow-covered driveway and went to the Dr. in Maryville. After whispering to the Dr. about how my friend in Charleston was given a hot toddy to help with her sore throat and lost voice, and that it had helped her, she told me they do help . . . to go for it. With gin, for making my gin raisins, being the only thing I had to make it with, I searched the Internet for a recipe. After finding one and making my medicinal concoction that night, I took one sniff of it, and thought “This is gonna be really bad!” It was totally nasty tasting and I had to convince my throat that it could swallow down the last couple remaining gulps. Within minutes, I was in bed, having completely forgotten I had aches and pains. Then, for two hours I lay there, feeling like I was completely roasting alive! After that came chills so severe I felt like a human earthquake, and was sure I was going to shake the screws right out of the bed! Thankfully, after that I finally fell asleep and slept like a baby, until sometime mid morning! I woke up with no more sore throat and my voice back, so I guess they do work, if you live through the experience . . . ha ha!
Care to sit and relax a spell?
Our house nestled in its snowy blanket
But of course . . . more snow!
Sometime during the next couple of days, more snow fell . . . and then more snow fell, until there was almost 10 inches of the white stuff! It was beautiful and my heart was completely broken, not being able to go out and sled and play in the most snow we’ve gotten since moving here! Not to worry though, I took photos of it out the windows instead and lay on the couch admiring it while resting. My sweet Carolina Wrens, Peeps and Elvira came and hung out with me for a while, sitting on the moss topped flowerpot, just outside the window nearby. “How very sweet!” I thought, as I watched them contentedly sitting there, absorbing the few rays of sun that occasionally pierced the cloud shrouded sky. The hardest part of it all I must admit, was not being able to go out and feed and take care of my birds like I normally do!
Sweet Peeps and Elvira
The back of our house decked out in white
Juncos seem to thrive in the snow and this one was like a feathered snow plow!
It’s almost two weeks later now, and thankfully we’re both feeling better and have been happily back at the easels for days. No, I never did get to sled again, but yesterday we sure enjoyed going for a walk in the snow and eating a delicious jalapeno covered pizza at Pizza Hut! One would’ve thought we had been given the world and all of its treasures! Today Wes has been packing up our miniature paintings, and we’re finishing the final details in getting ready for the upcoming NatureWorks Show in Tulsa, OK this next weekend. Thank goodness Wes had the foresight to have us fly out there this year! Needless to say, we’re greatly looking forward to seeing many of our collector friends again this year!
Lots of the white stuff!
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~ The latest paintings off of the Siegrists’ Easels ~
I finished my painting of an Elk which I photographed during our trip into Rocky Mountain National Park this past August. It was one of those amazing magical encounters, which are usually once in a lifetime! Wes finished his painting of a Sheep which we photographed at the Museum of Appalachia, and one of a Little Dipper, both of which he had started before leaving for SEWE a couple of weeks earlier.
“A Magical Encounter” by Rachelle
“Little Gold Dipper” by Wes
“Wooly, Warm and Weathered” by Wes
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Until next time . . .
~ Rachelle
Maloney Point overlook 
Picnicking on the Foothills Parkway
Standing on the grand staircase inside the Belmond Charleston Place Hotel
Wes and I with our miniature paintings at the opening
Just a fraction of the large crowd at the opening
Dr. Bob, Teri, Boon, me with little buddy Sean, Wes and Eugene at FIG
Mmmmmm . . . my beautiful and delicious Red snapper dish!
Even bigger Mmmmmm . . . our scrumptious Citus Soufflee!
A very happy attendee at the show
Currently from our backyard, which I call “Frozen World!”
