On Green

Though we dodged the snow in the forecast (and for that I am so very grateful), there is a cold wind blowing and it’s below freezing again.  This storm is Winter’s last effort to boss us around but I say that Winter can just go ahead and suck it.  For one thing, the calendar at my house notes that Spring begins in 4 short days.  For another, when the last of the snow melted over the weekend, it revealed these promising signs of happy blooms in my future.  They were in this flowerbed.

And this one.

And this one too.

I'll be watching these hopeful signs each day in the weeks ahead.  Winter, I am so over you.

Someone Got a New Thesaurus

In his 8th grade English class, every few weeks JT is confronted by a new vocabulary list and the task at hand is to identify the different conjugations of a word.  We like words at Sassafras House but we hate these vocabulary lists because parts of speech are annoying.  That is to say we find conjugation an annoyance.  The task annoys us.  You get the idea.

I think that we should outsource the job to Pantone, because the people over there clearly have a big fat SAT-worthy vocabulary and they are eager to use it.  Case in point: the description of the color of the year for 2014.  I am speaking of Radiant Orchid.  Of course.  In their press release, Pantone reports that the color is a “captivating purple.  One that draws you in with its beguiling charm.”  It “inspires confidence and emanates great joy, love and health.”  Dang, I need to get me some of that.

As usual when it comes to the new Pantone color, last year’s color takes a hit.  Pantone writes of the 2013 color, Emerald, that it “served as a symbol of growth, renewal and prosperity.”  Given the state of the economy and the craptastic nature of Congress, Pantone isn’t going to make that claim again.  See you later, greedy Emerald.  Our new friend, that always-captivating Radiant Orchid, "...reaches across the color wheel to intrigue the eye and spark the imagination.  An invitation to innovation, Radiant Orchid encourages expanded creativity and originality, which is increasingly valued in today’s society.”

Well okay.  You go, Radiant Orchid.  Bring it.  Radiant Orchid (light purple if you never got beyond the basic Crayola colors) is “captivating, magical, and enigmatic.”  It sounds impressive but I think that’s actually code for doesn’t match a single fucking thing in your closet.

Dirty Jersey

The glaciers of snow around the area really took to melting in the past week, though that turns out to be something of a mixed blessing.  Why, you ask?  Because the people of this state are pigs.

At least once a week, I see people toss trash in places it doesn’t belong and in the winter it seems to be worse.  Come the snow melt, our filthy habits are fully revealed.  We need a statewide movement of trash pick-up followed by a resolution to stop our litterbug ways.  What say you, fellow Jerseyans?  Can we be expected to clean up our state?

Amaryllis: Week 11

We started this week with a glimpse of Spring warmth but are ending it in the midst of icy cold (it was 17 degrees when we loaded into the car this morning).  No matter, because I have these glorious blooms to greet me every day.

It’s actually hard to capture the size of this splendid floral display; it’s nearly 3 feet tall and there are 7 blooms in the two flowers at the top of these stems.

Spring Break is just around the corner and this week has rather worn me out but the amaryllis brings cheer to my days and that is a happy thing.

Happy

Last weekend, T gave me this wreath for the front door.  She said it looked like just the sort of thing I would love.  She was right.  Each night I come home and feel cheered and welcomed.  It's a reminder that Spring will soon be here.

That’s happy.

Amaryllis Week 10

In the past week, as the amaryllis has been preparing to bring forth a splendid bloom, Winter’s hold on us has loosened ever so slightly.  On Monday, my part of New Jersey dodged a Winter storm that the National Weather Service had predicted would bring us 6-10 inches of snow.  Another burst of extreme cold followed, but the weekend calls for sun and 50 degrees which sounds heavenly.  The amaryllis is celebrating as much as I am.

It looks like I will enjoy at least two flowers from this bulb, which seems rather over-the-top.  But I’ll take it, giddy as I am at the idea that Spring is on its way.

Junkie

Like everyone else in New Jersey, I am anxiously looking for signs of Spring.  I check the 10 day weather forecast each day with a heart filled with hope, a junkie waiting for her fix of sunlight and temps above 50 degrees.  This weekend, I had to run back to school for a book I had forgotten and T came with me.  While there, she sighted these daffodils pushing through the ground.

They are in front of the Middle School and each day I greet them and offer encouragement.  Those little green tips are a harbinger of all the lush green that Spring will eventually bring.  It will be most welcome.

Labelled

Over the weekend, T helped me with some Spring cleaning: specifically, we organized the pantry.  I have a fairly spacious kitchen pantry and I have cleaned it out on previous occasions, most recently in 2009, which is rather too long ago.  No matter how I try to keep up, the pantry eventually looks like this and I can't find a thing:

There was plenty of confusion in this pantry, enough to make me scratch my head for days.  Trouble came in threes.  I had three boxes of lasagna pasta, a food I make less than once a year.  I can serve that lasagna with bread crumbs; I had three shakers worth. There were also three boxes of raisins and I don’t really like raisins.  The collection of vinegars raises some very interesting questions.  No matter, in the end, things got cleaned out and organized.

And then the shelves got labels.

The pantry is much tidier and desired items are easy to find; I’m hopeful that the labels will assist in keeping me organized.  That’s happy!

Bunnies!

I have a spot in the corner of the dining room where I hang a print of a bunny.  The collection started as a gift when I received this snow bunny print.  

I have prints in a great  enough variety to swap them out every few months.  So bunny prints have become a seasonal thing for me.  For the first of March, the snow bunny was replaced by this cheerful bubble-blowing bunny, a Christmas gift from T.

This bunny looks hopeful to me; and that’s how I choose to treat March.

March 1: Dogwood Tree

All my hopes for March have been put on hold; the polar cold has a grip on us again.  When I poured my first cup of coffee this morning the temperature outside was 5 degrees.  Another winter storm is headed our way tomorrow afternoon.  But its March and the birds have begun to chirp in the mornings.  The sunlight today looks cheerful and warm, even in the bone-chilling cold.  The dogwood is standing strong.

This month, when Winter comes to a calendar and meteorological close, offers hope even if the temperatures do not confirm it.  I think that the dogwood tree is holding spring in its heart, telling me, “Soon, dear.  Soon.”