I Am Not Alone!!!

The sun was shining beautifully this morning and regardless of the fact that I had fever, chills and body aches, I had to escape into the garden! I sneaked out early before breakfast and made all sorts of plans for the day's work! First on the agenda..burn the old leaves and rose trimmings that were piled in the middle of the rose garden. From there, I would clean around the front steps..it always seems to be a dropping-off point for so many items that happen to still be in the hand as I make my way back inside. I always have good intentions of putting them in their proper places but for some reason that never happens. Moving along on my list, I made a mental note to examine the gourds that never made it inside. A huge mound had accumulated because storage room was nil. These needed to be scrubbed, dried and stored for future projects. As I planned all of this, I thought of how ready I am for Spring if for no other reason than to start the gardens again. Then I noticed the little Jonquil buds starting to poke up through the mulch! Ahh, I was not alone in my thoughts of Springtime! This started me wondering just what all was starting to show in the flower gardens. As I perused the mulched beds, I found that the Daylilies were showing a good bit of green above the ground. I threw a bit of mulch over them as they will get frost burn with the temps even in the low thirties. The weather forecast calls for some ice in the next few nights so they needed a blanket to pull them through the chill. Further on, I came across the Wood Violets in full bloom! Oh, my! These goofy little plants have no sense! I love these little violets..my Springtime heralding flora friends! They and the Crocuses always bring a smile to my face! A welcoming bit of brightness after the grey of Winter! Of course, there is the winter garden with its cabbages, carrots and mustard greens! These are fine but just not as exciting as the bounty that comes from the Spring/Summer garden plots.

I am happy to say that I did accomplish everything that I set out to do today except for washing the gourds! My son has volunteered to do this job for me tomorrow and I am surely not going to deny him the honor! I feel so much better after a few doses of herbs but I truly believe getting out in the warm sunshine and fresh air helped tremendously! Now, I hear it is supposed to rain and be cold for the rest of the week..oh, my goodness! My little taste of Springtime was just that..little. But at least I was able to be out and about! Mentioning taste..my son decided to pick some mustard greens for supper tonight. I have never seen so many greens for just two people! The entire sink was filled! "They will cook down!" he said. True..but still. I washed and washed and finally had them all in the pot or at least , mounded in and above the six-quart pot! It is true that they did "cook down" but we will be eating leftover greens for a few days!