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Thursday, February 28, 2019

Signs of Spring


"I love spring anywhere, but if I could choose I would always greet it in a garden." ~Ruth Stout


By late February, my spirit yearns for warmth, color, the earth reborn...A flush of green tinges the meadow, a hopeful indication. I've started seeds in the greenhouse and, to my delight, most are coming up. Baby violas are potted in readiness, with the promise of more diminutive pansies to follow. Flats of sweet alyssum will go out among the earliest flowers to perfume the air and attract pollinators. Spinach and cabbage seedlings await transplanting. Parsley is showing its face. I'll seed more herbs and vegetables soon, like heirloom lettuce, basil, sweet peppers, and tomatoes. And flowers--always. I may even start peas indoors this year because our soil is so wet they may rot otherwise. We've had a drenched winter after last year's drought, and the weather shows no indication of letting up. No one wants a drought again, just 'normal' weather. Daughter Elise and I are sorting through seed packets from last year and carefully ordering more. The greenhouse will soon burst with new life.

"Every spring is the only spring — a perpetual astonishment." ~Ellis Peters

In the garden, I greet tiny pendulous snowdrops, an old friend. These delicate bulbs are tough as nails. The spreading mounds began from a handful of bulbs daughter Alison planted as a small child. Our much-loved pussywillow was son Cory's choice as a wee lad. Fuzzy catkins line its branches like the tiny kittens the pussywillow is named for. Daffodils, tulips, and the green points of crocus leaves are emerging. I plant more bulbs each fall. Discovering them is like an Easter egg hunt. The faithful snow crocus made its appearance yesterday. 'Tis my dream to have masses of crocus everywhere, filling the yard. How splendid that would be. A great trumpet of spring.

"No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow." ~Proverb


On the book front:

For the first time since its publication by the Wild Rose Press in July 2017, Somewhere My Lady is on sale at all major online booksellers with the exception of Kobo and was a featured Bookbub deal. Sale runs through March 1st.

Story Blurb:
Lorna Randolph is hired for the summer at Harrison Hall in Virginia, where Revolutionary-War reenactors provide guided tours of the elegant old home. She doesn't expect to receive a note and a kiss from a handsome young man who then vanishes into mist.
Harrison Hall itself has plans for Lorna – and for Hart Harrison, her momentary suitor and its 18th century heir. Past and present are bound by pledges of love, and modern science melds with old skills and history as Harrison Hall takes Lorna and Hart through time in a race to solve a mystery and save Hart's life before the Midsummer Ball.~
Somewhere My Lady is on sale for 0.99 from 2/15 through 3/01 at:

"Spring stirs under silent snow." ~Terri Guillemets


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22 comments:

  1. gmapatFebruary 28, 2019 at 8:52 AM

    You rush into spring with such renewed vigor and enthusiasm with well chosen seeds planted with hope and already seeing their beauty in your mind's eye. Then your garden--flowers, berries, veggies and all making their appearance til it is a sea of riotous color, from which you share freely. Your family, friends, neighbors, and all who drive down the road enjoy the beauty. You do indeed bloom where God planted you.

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  2. Maeve GreysonFebruary 28, 2019 at 8:55 AM

    *sigh* I need these pictures today. Thank you for giving me a glimpse of what is to come. :-)

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  3. Jana RichardsFebruary 28, 2019 at 9:40 AM

    Here in western Canada, there is no sign of spring. When I look out my window I see four feet of snow! So spring is a long time coming here. Thank you for a glimpse of spring in your neck of the woods.

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  4. Barbara BettisFebruary 28, 2019 at 10:59 AM

    Love those pictures today--we're having freezing drizzle and more to come. Hurry Spring--and flowers like these :)

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    1. Beth TrisselFebruary 28, 2019 at 11:49 AM

      We have a cold front coming here, too. Amen, Barbara.

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  5. JENNIFER WILCKFebruary 28, 2019 at 4:57 PM

    Beautiful flowers! I'm dying for spring as well. We're still buried under snow in NJ, but I hope too see some signs in the next couple of weeks.

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    1. Beth TrisselFebruary 28, 2019 at 8:51 PM

      Spring is coming. We have a cold week ahead here and then things look more promising here as well.

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  6. Sandra DaileyFebruary 28, 2019 at 6:59 PM

    I live in Florida where we have something blooming year-round. I don't think people here appreciate the beauty of it nearly as much as they should. Nice to see your celebration of the season.

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  7. Charlotteoshayauthor.comFebruary 28, 2019 at 7:16 PM

    Ahhhhhh thank you ��

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  8. Mary GillgannonMarch 1, 2019 at 9:05 AM

    So lovely. I miss pussy willows. I grew up in the Midwest (Illinois and Iowa) where we actually had spring. Here in Wyoming it doesn't really exist, at least not in extended stretches. I will plant some things inside toward the end of March, knowing I don't dare put them outside until after Memorial Day. We've had heavy snows well into May. Come summer, all I have to worry about is watering (nearly every day it doesn't rain) and hail. We had seven hailstorms at our house last summer. None were devastating, but they take their toll.

    Anyway, loving your pictures and descriptions and trying to quell my jealousy. Cheers!

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    1. Beth TrisselMarch 1, 2019 at 9:34 AM

      Thanks Mary, and my condolences for your extreme gardening challenges.

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  9. Amber DaultonMarch 1, 2019 at 9:13 AM

    Love those flowers. Spring is coming to western North Carolina. It's getting a little warmer and we've been having rain lately, so that's a good sign. And the tulips are blooming, so yay!
    Somewhere My Lady sounds great. I love time travel romances, and the cover is beautiful!

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  10. Jacquie RogersMarch 1, 2019 at 7:14 PM

    You certainly put me in the mood. Today was a warm, sunny day but we had a bunch of errands to run. I'm hoping the warm weather holds for a few days so we can get the grapes pruned before they come out of dormancy. So much to do in the yard and garden! But spring is truly beautiful here in Idaho.

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  11. Joan ReevesMarch 4, 2019 at 6:02 PM

    I'm so ready for this winter to be over. I had to cover my lime tree and take in all my vegetables because it's going to freeze tonight in Houston! Unheard of.

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    1. Beth TrisselMarch 5, 2019 at 6:52 AM

      Unseasonably cold here at the moment, too. Bummer. But spring is on its way!

      Delete

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