Signs of Spring?

As I sit and look out the window at mountains of snow piled in every available spot in our apartment complex, it's hard to imagine that spring begins this month--at least on the calendar.

March 8: Residents help dig out the last car.

(Photo by Donna B. Russell)

And, yet, there are signs. Yesterday, on the way to the doctor's office for my annual physical, we noticed that the ice on the bay is beginning to wear thin, and there were actually rather large, green patches of grass in several yards as we passed by. We even saw a big fat Robin Redbreast perched on a mound of snow! (Alas, I didn't have my camera with me.)

Mardi Gras memories: Sarah, Davy, Jen
(Photo by David A. Russsell)

Mardi Gras has come and gone, and the countdown to Easter has begun as evidenced by the ads on TV featuring the Cadbury bunny, and the pastel M&Ms and jelly beans in the stores. We're also counting down the final five weeks until the birth of our first grandchild, which means Gramma had better get busy finishing that sweater! As you can see, one side of the front is finished (and I have started on the other side).

Making progress
(Photo by Donna B. Russell)

I've also received a couple of seed catalogs in the mail--always a sign of spring. I used to enjoy growing my own tomatoes, lettuce, carrots, radishes, swiss chard, etc. When the kids were little, we called it "growing a salad." I still love the smell and feel of digging in the dirt, although I can no longer keep up a garden. Instead, I'm thinking of growing a few things in containers this year. For the rest, I'll frequent our local vegetable stands and farmers' markets for fresh, organic produce.

Image: Suat Eman / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

And, while I'm thinking about spring, and dirt, I just joined Sharon Lovejoy's "Grimy Hands Girls Club." If you'd like to know more about the club, or about Sharon, who is also the author of Toad Cottages & Shooting Stars: A Grandma's Bag of Tricks, among others, please visit her website at http://www.sharonlovejoy.com/CultivatingWonder/Home.html or her blog at http://sharonlovejoy.blogspot.com.

What are you doing to get ready for Spring?

Day Fifteen: Paige Pinch-hits

Hi, everyone! This is Paige. Donna is busily working on her novel and getting ready for next week's special blog posts, so I told her I'd write today's entry. Truthfully, I was beginning to wonder if I'd have an opportunity to write a post or two. You may recall that when we started this year's NaNoWriMo challenge, I gave her a checklist that included disconnecting from the outside world for the month, and sequestering herself with the computer. Who knew she'd take me so literally? I've had to step in a few times and remind her to eat and sleep. This NaNo thing has a way of taking over a person's life--at least for a month!

While she's busily writing away, I've been trying to keep tabs on her "real" life for her. After all, the world doesn't get put on "hold" just because a group of people decide to sidestep sanity every year during the month of November. When she returns from NaNoLand on December 1, I plan to hand her my notes and bring her up to speed with the lives of her family and friends. I must say they've been doing some pretty exciting things while she's been immersed in fantasy (writing, that is)--you needn't worry that she's hearing voices or seeing little green men--that comes closer to the end of the month when the sleep deprivation REALLY kicks in!

So, what's been going on around us while she's had the NaNo blinders on? For one thing, her younger daughter and son-in-law went on a European cruise. I'd be really jealous if it weren't for the fact that I get seasick, am claustrophobic (have you seen how small some of the bathrooms are in those cabins?), and my dogs would hate me if I boarded them for even an hour, let alone a week. I don't think the Princess Line or Carnival would let me bring them along. Anyway, the kids had a great time visiting Spain, Italy, and France. It reminds me of the Dr. Seus book, Oh, the Places You'll Go. And go they did--Barcelona, Naples, Rome (including Vatican City), The Leaning Tower of Pisa, Nice (which is nice), Marseilles, Monaco, and I'm sure I'm forgetting some. No "Bang-ups" or "Hang-ups," fortunately, but they did spend some time in the "Waiting Place" which in their case turned out to be six-hour layovers in Newark, both coming and going.

Donna and her husband have a new grand-nephew, born November 12. Welcome to the world, Nathan Patrick! Her husband's brother and sister-in-law are the proud grandparents, and their (the bro and sil's) daughter and her husband are the proud Mama and Papa! So, the "circle of life" goes on.

While some of her friends have been busy in the garden harvesting fall crops and planting bulbs for spring, Donna hasn't planted anything but her fingers on her keyboard--unless changing out incandescent bulbs for compact fluorescents counts. And speaking of planting, the weather has been more like spring than fall, with today's temperature topping out at 74 degrees! We should be somewhere in the upper 30s to mid-40s range. Nice for the heating bills, though. Either it's going to be a mild winter, or one of these days the bottom is going to drop right out of the thermometer!

Meanwhile, I've been trying to work on some holiday recipes that are gluten-free and will also fit her son's vegan lifestyle. If any of you readers have suggestions, please leave them in the comments for me. And speaking of food, it must be supper time because Higgins (my cat) and Noah and Cody (my two Border Collies) are ganging up on me. Higgins is eyeing my mouse and getting into attack position. Oh, and don't forget to tune in Monday when NaNoers share their responses to the question "Why do you write?"

Until next time!--Paige