What's this?

Maybe not so easy to guess from this picture, but we had a hail storm today. It's been really cold and wintery, snow in the air, and the mountains in the distance are dusted with caster sugar again. Being an optimist I had put winter coats and boots away, but that was way too early it seems! Well, April is a tricky month, I tend to forget that every year - it's something about the days getting longer and warmer, and you think Spring has arrived, and the next minute Winter lets you know it isn't going to let go yet. And woudn't you know it, when I got my act together and went outside to take a picture of this terrible weather, it cleared and the sun was out! But only for a few minutes...
I had to rescue these tiny tidings of Spring - they looked so shivery and unhappy outside, so they're back in my living room again for now, waiting for better days... It's far better indoors today, both for humans and flowers. The Easter decorations are out and it is warm and cosy here. Lots of books and magazines to read - I got started on a bit of sorting out, so now I have three piles of magazines - one to keep (by far the highest pile...) one to throw out, and one to go to new homes. I'll continue tomorrow by sorting through all my old cross-stitch magazines. There are loads that I will never stitch anything from, and they could do with new homes, and that should leave enough space to store the "keep-pile" from today's purge, I think...
Finding the excuse to stay indoors on such a blustery day (love that word, reminds me of a little poem about bears I have somewhere...) also meant time with my sewing machine. I've been going on about this quilt, so I'd better show you a picture - proof that I am actually quilting the thing now! More of that tomorrow, I think.
Now for that poem*:

Bears, on the whole, like a blustery day

Because it refreshes their plush

And blows out the tangles and crumbs that collect

And which just won't come out with a brush.

So they walk in the wind and think it good fun

To get huffed at and puffed at and blown.

If it's gale force or more, that's all to the good

And you won't hear a teddy bear moan.

But they don't like those days when it's windy and wet,

When it rains and it blows both together.

They'll huddle indoors and sit by the fire

And grumble "What inclement weather!"

On those wet windy days you can seek them in vain:

No teddy, no matter how stout,

Will venture outside, for he knows if he does

His umbrella will blow inside out!

*I found this and several others in a magazine years ago and cut them out and stuck them in my little blue notebook, but stupidly didn't include the information about who wrote them... Hope I'll be forgiven!