Spring Has Sprung
Spring is my favorite season. It is the time when I plan my gardens, and flowers, and landscaping and I actually manage to convince myself that this year I will take care of the flowers and not let them wither and die by the first of August. This is on my forty before forty list, so maybe this year will be the year, she says enthusiastically!
It's the time of year when I long to do something creative outside and get dirt under my finger nails. My mouth waters thinking of the juicy tomato salad I'll make from my own home grown tomatoes, and the balsamic and basil vinaigrette that I'll make from basil grown in my herb garden. This year, I tell myself, I will not allow my herb garden to be overtaken by weeds to the point where I stand there, scratching my head, clueless until I am finally forced to pull everything out of the ground and toss it away into the compost pile.
The reality is that most of the tomatoes will be picked by grimy little hands when they are green, hard and golf ball size and I will have to put them on my windowsill to turn red, or mold die, which ever comes first.
I like to imagine myself as one of those women who has a beautiful garden, cans fresh produce, and walks around the yard with those cute garden clogs and gloves, snipping here and there. The reality is that I don't really like getting dirty and I have never canned a thing in my life. I do covet those cute garden clogs, but I'd feel like a complete poser if I were to wear them around my yard. As well as feeling exceedingly guilty for all the dead plants and flowers in my yard.
I don't even mind cleaning this time of year. I love opening the windows and shaking out the rugs. I have already cleaned both my front and back porches. I have already scraped some of the siding where the paint was peeling in anticipation of repainting and residing small portions of the house this summer.
So, uh, where was I going with all of this? I have no idea.
But we did take a walk to the library today. On of the things that I love about the town we live in is it's Norman Rockwell like appearance with stone walls, tree lined streets, and old white picket fences.
If you want to see pictures of my kids on top of every stone wall we encounter, go here:
It's the time of year when I long to do something creative outside and get dirt under my finger nails. My mouth waters thinking of the juicy tomato salad I'll make from my own home grown tomatoes, and the balsamic and basil vinaigrette that I'll make from basil grown in my herb garden. This year, I tell myself, I will not allow my herb garden to be overtaken by weeds to the point where I stand there, scratching my head, clueless until I am finally forced to pull everything out of the ground and toss it away into the compost pile.
The reality is that most of the tomatoes will be picked by grimy little hands when they are green, hard and golf ball size and I will have to put them on my windowsill to turn red, or mold die, which ever comes first.
I like to imagine myself as one of those women who has a beautiful garden, cans fresh produce, and walks around the yard with those cute garden clogs and gloves, snipping here and there. The reality is that I don't really like getting dirty and I have never canned a thing in my life. I do covet those cute garden clogs, but I'd feel like a complete poser if I were to wear them around my yard. As well as feeling exceedingly guilty for all the dead plants and flowers in my yard.
I don't even mind cleaning this time of year. I love opening the windows and shaking out the rugs. I have already cleaned both my front and back porches. I have already scraped some of the siding where the paint was peeling in anticipation of repainting and residing small portions of the house this summer.
So, uh, where was I going with all of this? I have no idea.
But we did take a walk to the library today. On of the things that I love about the town we live in is it's Norman Rockwell like appearance with stone walls, tree lined streets, and old white picket fences.
If you want to see pictures of my kids on top of every stone wall we encounter, go here:
24 Comments:
The warm weather has once again convinced me to try to grow grass in our front yard. There I am spreading grass seed when the 4 year old appears with her bathing suit on. She is anticipating the sprinkler which does make an appearance. She promptly makes mud/grass seed muck with her little joyful feet. Is it any wonder I have given up growing green things and am just pleased that my kids and the dog are still alive?
What a beautiful library.
Was the mean old hag there?
(remember the book sale?)
I wonder how many children have walked on those stone walls over the decades?
What a wonderful library. I bet you look forward to spring just to enjoy that walk each year.
Wow..what a lovely library! Your thoughts have inspired me...tomorrow I think I will go to the farmers market down the street and buy some plants and do a little yard work.
What a beautiful library! Makes ours look like a double wide. Your walk reminded me of when my oldest was three and we would ride my bike to a former library through an old cemetary. There is nothing quite like experiencing springtime, books and a place with history with a child. Thanks for sharing.
BTW, great blog. You make me laugh and that is always a good thing.
LOL--I am not that woman, either. But I always have visions of becoming her. I am trying to do it in babysteps now, adding small successes (a plant unkilled, perhaps even one that yields...something) one at a time. Maybe I'll be her one day and then I can buy not only the cute clogs but also the matching gloves and watering can and that little foam thingy you kneel on.
Beautiful library, beautiful town, beautiful kids. Just...beautiful. :-)
Buy the clogs. If you buy them, flowers will grow. I think cute garden clogs are the new green thumb, and if you get the matching cute gloves, you WON'T get dirty.
Great pictures.
I understand completely the desire to have a green thumb, yet oddly enough having a black thumb and no desire to pull out the green sharpie.
You may come clean for me, if you'd like. I wouldn't complain!
library schlibrary... I luv the "Watch for Children" sign picture the best. It's perfect and made me smile.
I got me a fancy pair of garden clogs and a perty wide-brimmed hat too! The hat is hiding somewhere in the closet, and the clogs? Well, they were left on the back porch IN THE RAIN one-too-many times. ;) I think I wore them once to survey the back-forty but never for any dirt diggin'.
Two words. Plastic and mulch. They are my best friends in the summer.
cute pictures. Great walls to walk on!!
I buy-and-kill plants every two years or so, the other years I spend in a funk because I can't grow a garden.
in other news, I had a dream I met you last night, at an expo where I guess you were exhibiting your blog. I acted like a total dweeb, and then completed the dweebiness by blogging about it this morning.
:) kim
I love spring! I've been getting my yard work done this week. I can't wait to start planting flowers in May.
I do the same thing, and since I have no kids to distract me, I even get to the planning and planting stage, but then the weeding stage comes up and I hate bugs and I don't like to be dirty, so I tend to just pick at a couple of weeds and then run away screaming.
Love the stroller!
I still like to walk on stone walls.
PS: Want a great garden that you won't be allowed to let wither and die? Marry a farmer. ;)
Seriously, I've finally whittled it down to tomatoes and herbs. And *one* zucchini plant. If I have too many zucchinis I end up with vegetables the size of footballs.
Beautiful spring pictures. I'm SO happy that spring is here!
Oh Carmen, you are way too observant ;-) We saw a neighbor while out walking and she said to my daughter, "Oh my but aren't you colorful!" You think?
God, Chris. Do you know how blessed you are? Of course you do. Looking at those photos just totally relaxed me - what could be more beautiful than springtime in a beautiful town with beautiful children with life ahead of you and everything bursting with life. I am dizzy with contentment. I am jelous as hell too.
What a fabulous library!
I LOVE the photo of your daughter following behind your tall son....
I, too, have always dreamed of having a garden but I have been cursed with the brownest thumb in the land.
Last summer my mom, ever hopeful, came over and planted some tomato plants for me. I doted on those things like they were my children. For the first two weeks.
The third week, my mom called and asked, "How are the tomatoes doing?" And I replied, "What toma--omigod."
Sigh.
Love the pictures! :)
I am the same way. Gung ho about the garden. Until those weeds take over. Last year I pulled out onion plants not realizing they weren't weeds. Oh, and radishes too. Whoops!
Gorgeous pics. Your kids are as beautiful as ever (and I love your little girl's dress). And what a picturesque library you guys have!
Wow, it is a Norman Rockwell town! I love all of the wood in the library, it's gorgeous.
Post a Comment
<< Home