It May Be Gray Outside; but It's Rosy through My Eyes

Even though I am ever so ready for Spring, 

I thrilled as I admired the dusting of snow Winter left for me last night. 

No snow on the driveway...just on the grass and trees

{like a magical fairy land}

In this black and white wonderland with its inherent peacefulness, Harry and I walked.

{His focus was on chasing squirrels, while mine was through the camera lens}

February used to be my least favorite month....shortest in days, but longest in duration...everything so gray!

My mind's eye is conjuring memories of my first grade classroom...

Decorated with red, white and pink scalloped corrugated trim,

large heart-shaped paper doilies to which pictures of George Washington & Abraham Lincoln were glued.

First grade February:  That's when I experienced my very first swooning moment.....

red foil heart stickers!!

{My teacher put the stickers on our papers...so glorious!}

  {They still hold a fascination for me...any of you armchair psychologists should tell me why this is.}

And the most beautiful valentines candy my 1st grade eyes beheld:

heart-shaped candy coated with tiny red and white candy beads.  I looked for a picture on the internet to no avail.  I wonder if you remember them.  They looked like lovely jewelry to me.  

So even with the grayness of February, my mind sees a whole month of color:  red, pink, and white valentines.  

February is not so bad!

My Dawdling Farm Crew

Snow is in the forecast...in the Midwest...in January!  Shouldn't come as a shock, now!  But I'd bet that people are on their way to the store for bread and milk.  I ran to the store to buy food for the hens--not because of the snow, though.  Anyway, it's been such a mild winter so far...I'm actually glad to see some frozen precipitation!

I caught up on a little outdoor work...finally.  I took the tomato cages out of the garden (In January?  I know...don't judge me!)  and put them away...knowing full well that I'm just gonna have to get them out again in May....  

I read Martha Stewart's blog recently where she showed some pictures of her farm readied for winter's fury.  Her orchard and hedges were all smartly wrapped in burlap.  She probably has a wonderful farm crew....  Here's my crew:

My "crew" in the blackberry patch when they should be in the garden

Note that my blackberries are not smartly wrapped in burlap...I'm either lazy or optimistic for a mild winter.  I think....both.

Here's the crew after I ordered them to help carry the cages:

"You want us to carry what?"

"She didn't mean 'us'!"

Not quite insurrection...or sedition....or mutiny....  just plain insubordination.  They use excuses like:  we don't have opposable thumbs...we don't know what you mean...we no speaka no English.

I did all the work myself....actually quite happily.  I believe the Christmas cookie fat is just about gone...hahahahaha...NOT.

The wind is blowing in some winter weather.  I've always loved snow!  I'm hoping that it will snow just enough to make everything beautiful.  No storms ... no wind...just snow.