The Sweet Month of February

 We've muddled through a couple of extremely cold weeks in February, but this weekend was spectacular.  

Bright blue skies, beautiful frosty trees.   

With balmy temps in the high 20's and lower 30's, spring seems like a hop, skip & jump away. 

 Alex about to unload groceries.  The snow banks are almost as tall as him.  

It would have been a good weekend to spend time outside, but instead it was filled to the brim with indoor entertainment.   
  

 Ashley talked me into starting the first season of Downton Abbey.  It's a British series and oh so good!     

We watched 4 episodes (one hr. each) on Saturday and 3 more on Sunday.   

 We finished the first season of Downton Abbey in one weekend!  That's a lot of tv watching for me, but it was worth it.  We can't wait to start season two!!     

Sunday afternoon, we had tickets to see Lord of the Dance in Bemidji.  It was an amazing, high energy performance!  

That same evening, we enjoyed the Academy Awards.    

It felt good on Monday to have the house to myself, busily rushing about doing laundry, changing sheets, doing paper work, and meal planning.  

Remember, I was a sloth all weekend. 

Of course, it helped that the sun was shining brightly and is finally giving off a bit of warmth.   

Doesn't that perk you right up and fill you with extra energy? 

Cinnamon got a haircut, much over due.  She's currently cold. 

I love February for many reasons and one is Valentine's Day.  

It happened to land on my daycare day this year so I hosted a party for the kiddos. 

It's a wild & crazy day no matter how much I try to keep order.  They get so excited!  

It's pretty cute to see them take turns putting their cards/treats into each of their friends' Valentine bags.  

My own kids were treated to some gourmet cupcakes...

... and I was the recipient of a dozen red roses.  Nice!  Thanks, Derrick. 

As the daycare kids watch the snow plow guy do his thing, I bid farewell to the sweet month of February.  

Usually, my furniture is "hot lava" (we don't go on it), but this was a special treat.   

This is what Ethan's been having for dessert the last couple of nights.  

Above is a beautiful February sunrise.

And, here is the full moon from last night.  Goodnight moon.  

So long, February.  Our time together has been sweet.   


 

Another One Bites the Dust

 Welcome to the merry month of February.  It's still cold and I'm still in the mood to look back at flower photos from summers past.  

The photos in this post are from June & July of 2010.  I hope I don't get too whiny.  Stop me if I do.        

Over the last couple winters, I've lost several perennials, as in, a devastatingly large amount.  See how full and fluffy my flower bed looked?  And, colorful?! 

As you know, perennials typically bloom once for a short period of time each summer and it's tricky to plan a garden where you have a lot of color happening at the same time.

In other words, I had it goin' on.  And, now I don't.      
    

I adore the blue hue of this bushy variety of Delphinium.  Gonzo. 

White Coneflower (echinacea) and red Monarda (bee balm/bergamot).  

Both were thriving.

Both are gone. 

Iceland Poppies.  Guess what?  Still alive.  I thought you needed some good news.  I love all things poppy.  Such a papery colorful flower.     

I was trying to create a large patch of Purple Coneflower (echinacea) so each year I invested in several plants.   

One or two came up last summer, but I've lost 10 or 15 plants.  Keep in mind, I only buy plants that should be hardy for my zone, which is 3a.  Brrrr, maybe I should move.  But, I kind of like it here.     

Lupines are a gorgeous flower and I enjoy the foliage every bit as much when they're done blooming.  

They bloomed and grew for several years, but did not come back last spring.  Wah.   

Beard-Tongue (who names these things?), also known as Penstemon, was a pretty asset to my perennial bed.  Was. 

The truth of the matter is, some perennials last for years and years and some are short lived.  

So, maybe it was lack of snow cover, maybe it was that they ran their course.  

Either way, the perennial bed had lots of empty spots last summer and a lot less color.  I miss the purple lupine!   

I was discouraged and didn't rush out to spend a lot of money replacing everything. 

My attention is turning toward annuals (bedding plants) that continue to bloom all summer long.  You have to buy them each year, but they are less expensive. 

I'm not done with perennial gardening just yet, but my faith took a hit.  Container gardening offers color all season and no weeding.      

I'm anxious to see what comes up this spring...



 

  




   

January Deep Freeze

 We've had arctic temperatures in my hometown for a week.  

My teeth are chattering as I type this.  I just turned up the heat (shiver).

There's only one thing to do (buying a hot tub is not in the budget).  It's time to whip out the kryptonite.  

That's right, sunny flower photos from summers gone by.  

Take that, Jack Frost.  

Looking at sun dappled flowers gives me hope that the bitter cold will come to an end at some point.  

Hot sunny days are just around the corner (around the corners of February, March and April).  We can do this!      

"The color of springtime is in the flowers, the color of winter is in the imagination". ~Terri Guillemets.  

My imagination is working over time this week.  

What I'm really craving is... GREEN.  

The white of winter is elegant/frosty/beautiful in its own right, but.... 

... the green of summer calms my soul.    
 

Maybe I should start making a list of "must have" flowers & herbs for this summer.  

I forgot to buy "lemon gems" (tiny marigolds that smell terrific!) last summer, which really bugged me.  I missed touching them and smelling their lemony scent.   

Dahlias will definitely be on my list. 

Yes, dahlias... in several colors. 

Finding seemingly odd containers is always a pleasurable challenge.     

Commercial break:  I just danced in the kitchen w/my daughter to the song Please Mr. Postman by the Carpenters.  Just had to.  Blame Sadie.   

In case you're wondering, gangnam style works with this song.  Whew, that's a relief.     

Butterfly flower and Nasturiums will be on the list.
  

It's always fun to buy something new & different that you've never grown before. 

"Winter is the season in which people try to keep the house as warm as it was in the summer, when they complained about the heat". ~Author Unknown

The bright orange viola (above) is therapy on these cold days.  It's my kryptonite.   

And, this green... it makes me excited to get outside and mow the lawn with the sun shining down in approval.  The smell of cut grass... aahhh.   

 In the meantime, while we sip hot tea, pull on the throw blanket while reading a good book or watching tv, and turn up the heat, keep this in mind....

 One kind word can warm three winter months. ~Japanese Proverb

 So long January.  It's been real.  It's been fun.  But, it hasn't been real fun.  Brrrrrr!  

I Like January

It's January.  Good, refreshing January.  Brisk, chilly January.  The holiday season is behind us and it's time to get organized.  

Today I went through my dresser and purged clothes that I never wear (such a great feeling).  

As you see above, I've been looking through photos from last year to remind myself of what to expect in May (spring is on my mind!).     

I went through the fridge and dumped remnants of food that no one is planning on eating (i.e. a small container of homemade cranberry sauce from Christmas... yeah, right).

I always get a slight case of spring fever in January (it's not full blown yet, don't fret, it'll get worse).

  

I filled the bird feeder today (brrr!) and spent time on Pinterest (my new fun hobby...golly, all the recipes!).  

I loaded the dishwasher and did several loads of laundry.  

I caught up on daycare paperwork and watched a few celebrity interviews w/Ashley(ever since Les Miserables, she's slightly obsessed w/Eddie Redmayne).  

I'm looking forward to the first visits to the greenhouses in my area.  Yes, a few months away. 

My front porch gets packed after several weekends of shopping.     

I'm NOT looking forward to carrying plants outside everyday for sunshine & water before I can plant them.  

In the end, it's always worth the hassle.   

I can't wait to choose a hanging plant for outside our front door.  

It's a very important purchase, one that must last all summer.   
  

Everyone looks forward to the smell of fresh lilacs blooming, amen?!  

And, planting those first pots in the spring.  

My 'creative' sense is tingling (think Spiderman).      

Oh, and hanging the hummingbird feeder. 

But...now I've gotten ahead of myself.  Each month has it's own positives to celebrate.  

I better stay focused on January.  We could use some more SNOW.  

Maybe I'll put fresh flannel sheets on the bed and whip up a hearty dinner.  That'll work. 

P.S.  Shhh... think SPRING.