I thought you'd like to know that we spent yesterday taking down the Christmas tree, and the best part:  we got it back into the box!!!  Stand and all.  What a beautiful thing.  

 

In January, we took off the Christmas ornaments and just left the angels and a few others.  It was so pretty in the living room, I just didn't want to put it away.  

 

But it is almost March, and yesterday was too wet to go outside, so we made it our project.  It was fun, and now we are decorated for spring.  We are looking at silk Forsythia and sweet peas.  I guess it is more seasonal.

 

 

LOOKING FORWARD TO SPRING!!!

 

It is time to look up!!!  The maple trees are starting to turn red.  The flower buds are swelling, and they are looking hopeful.  

 

Hopeful for Spring!!!  Me too!!!

 

 

HAPPY FEBRUARY!!!

 

It always amazes me when dead-looking plants start growing new leaves.  This is our Clematis, and all winter it looked DEAD!!!  

 

Surprise!!  It's not.  It is alive and leafing out all over the place.  I took this picture from the top, because this is the best looking part.  But it is leafing out from the very bottom, all the way up to the top deck.  

Of course, I will show you again when it's blooming, but I thought you'd like to know that I am looking for signs of spring...for you and for me. 

 

 

HAPPY FEBRUARY!!!

 

I don't know where they got the name, or what it means.  All I know is that this is one of our favorite early spring bloomers, Corn Speedwell.  We saw this patch and several others in the park yesterday.  Yay!!!

 

 

HAPPY ALMOST SPRING!!!

 

And look who I saw poking up through the mulch!!!  It is the Columbine that my Sunnybrook friend gave me when we moved from Virginia Beach in 2004.  It comes back every year, and she seeds like crazy.  We have this stuff all over the place.  I will show you again when she blooms.  That is why we let her stay.  

 

I don't let the new plants stay in the arugula bed, because I don't want it to get into my cuttings.  I don't know if it's poisonous, but the word "toxic" does show up in the wildflower books.  So, I just let that be what it is, and keep it out of my edible beds.  Otherwise, I love it.  The flowers are so pretty.

 

I hope your weather this week is as beautiful as ours.  

 

 

HAPPY FEBRUARY!!!

 

And it's time to plant seeds.  Today is the best time to plant seeds for tomatoes, peppers, and lots of other stuff.  

 

We will plant seeds today, because it takes about 8-12 weeks for them to get big enough to go out into the garden.  It's a process.  We plant the seeds into flats and put them on heat mats.  Then when they are big enough we will transplant them into 6-packs, and keep them under grow lights.  And then when the ground is warm enough, they will go into the garden.  

 

I guess we could just buy the 6-packs at Home Depot, but this way I get to choose the varieties of seeds that we like.  And I don't mind the process.  Actually, I like it.  

 

 

HAPPY SPRING!!!

 

I don't know about you, but I love a rainy day project.  It was too wet to get outside in the garden yesterday, so Jon read a book, and I got busy in the sewing room.  I started this project a few days ago, as you can see.  Everything is cut, and some of the blocks are made.  Now they just have to be assembled.  That is the fun part.

 

I had a good pattern, so it just flowed.  And here is the outcome:

 

 

It is so funny, well, maybe not all that funny, but I can never tell how it's going to turn out.  I thought it would be totally different.  I've only been quilting for 21 years, but I am still amazed with the outcome.  Sometimes I like it, and sometimes, not so much.  I guess I will just keep trying.  

 

I'll let you know....

 

HAPPY WINTER!!!

 

And ME!!!

 

 

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!

 

On our loop walk yesterday, I noticed the Bradford Pears have already set their spring flower buds.  And that always makes me think of FAITH.  They are reminding us that spring is coming, and we are ALL ready!!!

 

 

HAPPY ALMOST SPRING!!!

 

We saw this the other day in the blueberry bushes.  In this picture, it looks huge, but it is only about the size of the top joint of your thumb, and about the same shape.  It is the egg case of a praying mantis.  I've told you this before, but each egg case holds about 100 baby mantids.  We love finding these things, because we love praying mantids.  They eat bugs that eat our plants, so we love them.  

 

And I love seeing them:  at first they are so tiny, then get really big.  Very cool insects.  I hope we can be there when they emerge:  that is awesome!  I'll take pix if we catch it.  Wish me luck.  ;)

 

 

HAPPY ALMOST SPRING!!!