Oh Woe --More Snow

Oh YES. More snow today. More winter white for as far as the eye can see.

The 3+ weeks of reprieve was wonderful. We even had a little snow melt. There was a vague , tiny to be sure,hint of Spring. I heard , then saw, robins in the yard. ( I've been told that they've been around all Winter this year --global warming? ) but to hear their sweet trill was as though Spring had snuck up and tickled me from behind. And I heard the phoebe calling. First I thought some crazy bird had been a little too anxious for Spring ( like me ) and had made his appearance too soon. But no, there were at least 2 of them ; one would call ,the other in the distance would answer. Ahhh , I thought to myself, YES, Spring is coming !!!

Ahhhh. I was so wrong, for here we are today with the white falling all around us, shrouding driveways, branches, bird feeders, clotheslines, sheds, rooves, garden decorations that were just beginning to appear again. All is white again.

Three and a half + weeks ago I was reveling in the tide of white, carrying on about the varying hues and tints of this "poor man's fertilizer". I was planning an interior scheme for a small corner of the shop, to be decked in white, of those same varying whites/off-whites. To that end , I've been furiously painting some chairs, cabinets, & small accessories in alabaster, "teacup"white ( a slightly pinkish white) , and white white. And I've relished it.

In my head that little corner is to be a cool, refreshing oasis of tranquility amid the summer heat of the non-air conditioned barn the shop is housed in, and the exuberance of the other vividly painted furniture.

Well I've gotta tell ya, right now I'm just not needing that cool, icy oasis. All I need to do is look out the window and shivers run down my spine.

Oh yes, I do think I'm "skating" on thin ice right now. My heart AND my mind are searching for the signs that tell of warmth and renewal.

In years past , I would start popping little seeds into those peat pots in my effort to hurry Spring along. The window sills would be lined, filled in every last inch, with seedlings. And though they were a joyful sight , it was a l-o-n-g time before I could put them out. In the meantime, I drove myself crazy trying to water them and not the windowsill and floor, streaking the wall as it cascaded down. They needed to be transplanted into larger pots that would not fit on the sills.And I had no room to give them the light they needed. Oh woe.

I've stopped planting seeds in February, though I do, indeed must , stop at every seed package display I can find. Their small envelopes are appealing in so many ways. They hold out the promise of things to come. A little package, a little price tag and the promise of new life, warmth and beauty. I am especially drawn to the packages that have hand painted images. And at this time of year, I find that in particular I am riveted to the the softly colored ones.

I find myself yearning for the soft , gentle colors of a new Spring, the pale tones that whisper promises of new life---the muted pansies, Easter eggs, soft chicks, new grass, budding leaves. I'm ready ( oh so ready ) to shed the icy whites of Winter , but not yet ready for the vibrant , full, deep colors of the hot weather. And the seed packets offer me this too. And I can fill my eye with a large bouquet of flowers to carry home with me.


Have yourself a wonderful day. Fill it with dreams of things to come-inspiration to carry you through the last days of this stubborn Winter. Warm wishes, Cyth