Marching in

"March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb."

I think aside from October and November, March is one of my favorite months. It is a month of hope and new beginnings; it is a month that stands on the border of winter and spring.

It is a very green month in my mind as well - I start thinking about my garden, since now is about the time my Uncle will be starting seeds, and will be heading out to his greenhouse to start our plants. I am excited to see every year what he will grow. I told him I want to photograph the whole process this year, from seed to finish, and I should be starting this pretty soon. I bought some seed as well, to have him start for me; I chose Detroit Dark Red Beets and Spinach. I hope I can fit everything in my garden! Last year we expanded the garden site, and Billy built a fence, which did not keep Penny out by the way, and I don't think Billy would like it if I asked to expand the garden even further this year. I am hoping for the usual suspects in a backyard garden, tomatoes, yellow squash, zucchini, red peppers, green peppers, banana peppers, cucumbers - my mouth is watering just thinking of all these fresh vegetables straight from my own garden. I always want to plant pumpkins, but they are such space hogs! I might try to sneak some in behind the garage though..

However, the best things I receive in my little uncle-grown garden kit are the sunflowers. Not practical, unless you are a bird or squirrel, but I love these giant yellow flowers of happiness. Last year mine were trampled as seedlings by a certain English Setter, so I have to figure out where to plant them this year to keep them safe. I also ordered a Blue Girl hybrid tea rose bush that I am going to plant in the front yard - I love the coloring in this picture! Every year I add to our perennials, but I like to do that by wandering around my favorite nursery and farm market, Kurtzhals' Farms, and picking out whatever calls to me that day. I currently have peonies and roses, many types of lavender (which I am addicted to planting for some reason), and Billy picked out lamb's ear a few years ago, which every year comes back bigger. The birds love it too, stealing soft and silky leaves for their nests, and in the fall after it has gone to seed, they eat it.

I have to totally redo the herb garden this year - I always plant it next to the house, and I love when Penny rolls in the herbs, because she comes back in smelling like thyme, rosemary, oregano. I probably shouldn't like it, since this is why I have to replant and fix the bed, but who can resist a sun warmed dog smelling like herbs? I am going to be smart this year, and plant extra in pots.

What about you? Do any of you garden? What do you like to plant? I am always looking for new additions!

Wordless Wednesday- Spring is coming

Spring is on its way, slowly unfurling.

Waltzing the Cat

Hostess: Erin (me)

Book: Waltzing the Cat by Pam Houston

Food: Lemon Risotto with Asparagus, hummus, pita, baguette, brie en croute, brownies, cheese and crackers

Wine of the Night: Fetzer Merlot

Month: February

My step mom Shellie introduced me to this book and author years ago, and I fell in love with Houston's writing from the minute I opened the book. I couldn't wait to hear what my friends thought of it as well.

Lucy O'Rourke is a fearless figure, traveling about hither and yon, camera in hand, navigating rapid rivers. I read this and think, what a great life, I would love to be a traveling photographer, going on adventures and experiencing new cultures. The only thing that seems to trip her up are her relationships with men. We go from one relationship to the next with Lucy, wondering what is around every turn ~ and we learn she has some excess baggage from her childhood too.

This book is a series of short stories, all about Lucy. We all seemed to have our favorites ~ Chrissy enjoyed the title story, I liked Three Lessons in Amazonian Biology, Jennifer's favorite was Then You Get Up and Have Breakfast...we all seemed to enjoy different stories. When it came to Lucy's relationships, we seemed to root for either Erik Sorenson, the alcoholic, or Marcus, who seems like he will be the one, but is not. We all thought Carter was a joke, and couldn't believe Lucy was even with him! For a while, it seemed like we were talking about the relationships of someone we knew. The book had its emotional ups and downs, aside from Lucy's man troubles - I know quite a few of us said we cried when we read about Lucy's mother, I was sick inside waiting for Ellie the dog to get better, and hoping that she would.

All in all, this book seemed to have a bit of everything for all of us, and we are a group of women with very distinct and different personalities, with interests in common. And, this is the third book I have chosen that features water as a theme and literary device. I am going to have to investigate that further, I think.

Next month is Mary ~ she has chosen A Lesson Before Dying, by Ernest Gaines. It should be a thought provoking read, and I am looking forward to it!

Wordless Wednesday ~ Sleeping Cats

Let sleeping cats lie..

Bird Nerd

A little known fact about me - I am a bird nerd. I am sure everyone could guess that I love owls, but in fact I love all birds. Except maybe Turkeys. About three years ago I decided to set up bird feeders in my yard - five of them to be exact- and I would actually wake up at 7 AM on the weekend to watch the birds at the feeders. I was usually up before they were, but I still sat glued to the window, watching and waiting. It wasn't long before I bought bird identification books and started making lists of the ones I had spotted. Next I began researching how to attract different types of birds to my yard. I began annoying everyone around me by identifying every bird we saw. Then we got Penny - public enemy number one to backyard birds. So, the bird feeders had to come down.

But I missed my early mornings with the birds - for some reason it was so relaxing to sit inside and watch them feeding, knowing that I was helping them to survive. (except for the times the hawks came to visit the feeders) In the winter, the Northern Cardinals look so bright and beautiful, and in the summer you get the yellow glory of the American Goldfinch. And the bird song in the summer is wonderful to wake up to, or so I think. So a few months ago I hung feeders in the front yard, and I have my birds back. The cats love the placement, and sit and watch them for hours, chattering and pawing the window. I don't do that, but I do sit and watch the birds, always hoping for a new sighting.

Today was a pretty cool day - Billy and I went to Oakwoods Metropark near our home, and hung out in the Nature Center with Ronni, one of the interpreters as she participated in the Great Backyard Bird Count. I have to admit, part of my desire to go to Oakwoods today was to see if they were doing anything with the GBBC; I knew they would have much better sightings. It was so cozy to sit in the Nature Center, with its window that is pretty much the entire back of the building, drinking coffee with someone who can identify the birds for you, and explain the identification. And we saw so many different birds - Bald Eagles, Mallards, an American Black Duck, Nuthatches, Cardinals, Red Bellied Woodpeckers, Downy Woodpeckers to name a few of my favorites of the day. We also saw the ones I see the most- the little saucy Black Capped Chickadee, White Breasted Nuthatches that feed upside down, Cardinals, a Coopers Hawk and a Sharp Shinned Hawk, a Blue Jay. And we were only there an hour! I can't imagine the variety we might have seen had we sat there longer. It was a day after my bird loving heart.

I don't think I will ever be someone who actively will go out and bird watch, fully intending to look for certain birds. Unless I am going on an owl walk, to spot different owls. For the most part, I prefer to stumble upon them while out walking and be surprised, or watch them from my kitchen table, cup of coffee in hand, with a cat on my lap.

Pink, sugary, hearts

Valentines Day has never been a big favorite of mine. If I were to rank the big holidays in order of which I like most to the ones I like least, this is one that I would put near the bottom. I like Halloween and St. Patrick's Day much more.

When I was a kid, it was just too pink. And too lavender - maybe I should say just too pastel, for me. I also associated this time of year with car sickness and being overly warm indoors, since my mom would dress me in very warm clothing, to protect me from the cold outside, but then I would get to school and roast to death. I also didn't like having to sign my name to all those little valentine cards, five a night, until they were finished. But I did it, thanks to the persistence of my parents. On the flip side, the day of school party, I would worry that I would show up and have no valentines in my wonderfully created out of construction paper and hearts valentines mailbox, that other parents would not be as diligent as mine. I never had an empty mailbox, but it didn't stop me from worrying.

As a married woman who has been with her husband since she was 17, I do view the holiday a bit differently than when I was in elementary school. At first in our marriage and courtship, I felt such pressure to be romantic. And in my mind, I thought this meant pink and flowers and nausea again. We had to go out to a fancy restaurant, etc. etc. And I enjoyed them, and so did Billy, but it never felt like us. The day became artificial, and inauthentic, except, obviously for our feelings for each other. We were doing what we thought we were supposed to do on Valentines Day, what we had assumed the day was about. And for some people, this is perfect for them. And that is fine too, it is just not Billy and I.

Now, we are more true to our relationship on Valentines Day, and in fact, it is not such a big deal. We cook for each other, or eat at a local, small restaurant that serves good food, but not particularly fancy. We spend a day exploring new places, maybe, or just stay home and order Chinese and hang out together, something that does get lost in our everyday, between work and all our responsibilities. Sure, we celebrate each other, but we do it our way.

Caution- it gets a little sappy here.

I also feel like we show each other everyday, in small ways, that we love each other, like getting out of bed into the freezing cold to start coffee for the other, going somewhere you don't want to go at all without saying a word, simply because you know the other wants to do it, or when Billy fills my bird feeders in the middle of a blizzard because he knows I am worried about the birds.

We will celebrate Valentine's Day, but we remember to love each other everyday.

And hopefully, minus a lot of pastels.

Wordless Wednesday ~ Not Amused

My English Setter Penny is not amused by all this snow we have.