Spring shadows, more flowers, front yard pitches and pictures

Today, more Spring flowers emerged, long afternoon shadows stretched the length of the side yard, sunshine and milder temperatures caused village girls to wear less as they pranced down sidewalks and I drove home from Binghamton with my car windows down and music turned up- rocking, raw, country alt music.

Spring seems to foster hope and new beginnings. A positive oncologist visit with Dad, (not to mention a nurse whispering"Adorable!" as she watched Dad slowly make his way down a long hall) buoyed our spirits. Soup and salad at the bustling Olive Garden filled our tummies. Mom's memorial service remain on target after several phone calls to the funeral home and newspaper. A new GreenPrints' Summer assignment waited for me in my email. My youngest winged baseballs in the front yard, at his new pitch back net. Sproing!

See the busy bee entering the top of the crocus?

This is the photo that will accompany Mom's memorial celebration notice.

This is a drawing I did of Mom, holding one of us, probably my brother Jack or Jim in the 40s in the front yard at Afton.

This is Mom, as a toddler holding a ball in the same front yard where she later held the baby from the previous picture (also the same front yard in which my son was pitching a baseball today!)

Springing Forward & Looking Back

Today I spied the first crocus of the season in the front border! When I fed the cats on the porch, a robin serenaded us from the satety of an overhead branch. The air smells milder! I dried some sheets out on the clothesline and raked a few old leaves and twigs from the front yard. A friend gave me some pussywillow branches that I may take to Mom's Memorial service next week. We are hoping to make it more of a celebration in honor of her full and beautiful life, instead of a funeral, mourning her death.





This is a copy of Mom and Dad's wedding photo from July 1942.



Happy St. Patrick's Day! Mom certainly had beautiful Irish eyes!

Philadelphia Flower Show

Here's some rose photos for you to enjoy from the Phildelphia Flower show! (Ignore the printed dates on the images, need to correct my setting)! I always treat myself to flowers! This year's theme was Paris.















Hmmm... inspired to plant sunflowers around my son's classic car.



This sink was supposed to look like a scene from long ago, but it's just like the one in my kitchen!



How can you resist smiling at these rudbeckias?



And a happy Good Morning to you!



There are almost as many cameras at the flower show as there are flowers!



One of the most striking exhibits- shadows of can lids, strategically placed cutouts and bric-a-brac that created alluring shadows!



Happy feet!



Perhaps I could do this, too! These gals attracted a crowd of onlookers as they painted floral scenes "en plein air"



This photo shows fellow bus passengers riding the escalators to the show's entrance. Over the course of several years, some of these ladies have become welcome faces and friends.



This shows our snowfall earlier this week!



Any weather is perfect for grilling!





After heavy rains, our snow's nearly gone,



..the creek's rising...



and best of all, the snowdrops are visible again!

Snow drop!

The weekend's warm temperatures melted the dingy remains of past snows, revealing a forgotten bag of hyacinths atop my garden but never planted, and clusters of white snowdrops, bravely blooming, heralding Spring. Well, the brief taste of Spring has been quashed by an overnight snow storm, dropping over 14 inches on us! Goodbye, snow drops! I know you're down there and look forward to seeing you again!

A Cat in the Hat Day

Today is definitely a Cat in the Hat Day- too wet to go out and play, so I'm sitting inside, downing a few cups of tea and devouring the Sunday paper.

The warmer temps have melted most of February's snow (more is predicted tonight)! Before the rain got too heavy, I relocated more cat litter from the yard and front border and took a quick walk around the back garden to see if any Spring shoots were emerging. To my surprise, I found a bag of 25 hyacinths that spent most of the Winter beneath the snow in a back corner of my garden! Last Fall, I must've been in a planting frenzy and gotten sidetracked, forgetting all about them! Anyway, I brought the bag inside, opened it and arranged the contents on a dinner plate. They looked like earthy appetizers ready to be served at a troll's garden party. They seemed solid. Some had green sprouts emerging from the tips, but none had much root growth. I only tossed two mushy ones into the trash. Hmm. Decided to try planting them in my porch boxes! Nothing to lose by trying! I cleared out the ragged remains of white pine branches, found my trusty trowel, and planted 23 bulbs among the three boxes! Now it's time to sit back and wait and see what happens!

Signs of Spring!

Today's wind swirls around the house in brisk gusts! The snow's receding quickly! The season's first snowdrops emerge! Ten gallons of maple sap simmered on top of our wood stove, enough to fill a clear quart-sized jar. (We had pancakes, bacon and fresh syrup for breakfast)! Our winter wood supply is dwindling: time to scrounge for enough to keep us warm throughout Spring. It will be harder to stay inside and draw or quilt, now that Spring whispers, "Come out and see what's new in the world!"