Well, Spring is officially here, but there's still snow on the ground outside in Central PA. Our snowdrops are blooming, albeit under the snow! There were a few crocus that bloomed briefly before the last 2 snow storms, but they are long gone. And we're expecting more snow tomorrow into Monday.
Snow actually makes me happy -it brightens up the ground on gloomy, gray days and reflects light even into the night. It probably helps that I come from Minnesota originally, thus snow was a huge part of our lives on a regular basis. I remember how blinding the snow can be in brilliant sunshine - as was often the case at home. We lived a mile from school out the outer edges of our district and our family did not own a car, so we walked to and fro daily - and went an hour early during Advent & Lent to attend daily mass, as was required in our parochial school. Oh, the headaches I got from the blinding sun. And the frozen nose hairs on the coldest, windiest days. And leggings... what a drag. But without them, your legs would freeze! How the boys used to love to swipe my hat on my way home - I'd be half-way when they would be already home, and losing my hat meant freezing ears & an angry mother when I got home...
We didn't have snowdrops in my memory - but we did have crocus, daffodils, and tulips. My grandfather had a wonderful garden and we lived there for 7 years when I was a child. My dad also planted a marvelous flower garden once we had our own place. The Minnesota growing season is significantly shorter than the one here in central Pennsylvania! I was in charge of weeding, of course. I remember one spring when I transplanted all the wild violets from the driveway cracks and from the grass and asked my dad where I could plant them all so they could keep blooming. He provided me with a shady corner, which ever after until my folks died, was the violet corner of the yard. Those violets were not like the ones I have in my current garden. These violets are tenacious, spreading everywhere and choking the life out of even azalea bushes. Who knew violets, portrayed as meek and mild(!), could be so darned WEED-like! I've been told the only way to control them is to eliminate them completely - which, of course, would eliminate every other plant nearby as well. So that won't happen. Each year I pull them up only to discover them fully embedded in the same spot year after year. However, when they are blooming, they make a lovely blue flowerbed! The white violets are less invasive, unfortunately - I LOVE them and wish I had more. And those wonderfully rich red-purple violets - I had those in upstate PA... And we had yellow violets in Minnesota - haven't seen them for years and years...
Meanwhile, my art languishes from lack of time. No surprise, that. The girls are now 8 months old. Since they are preemies, they are not yet sitting up well nor crawling - for which I admit I am grateful. I'm not sure how we'll keep track of two little girls who take 3-4 mini-naps per day, rather than one or two longer naps like our kids and grandkids used to do. I used to be able to get something DONE during their naps. Not so with these two little ones. They are going in circles or backing up across the room, squeaking and squealing at Spunky, our Cavalier/Terrier mix puppy/dog.
Here they are on St. Patrick's Day wearing the darling outfits their maternal great-grandma Reed made for them.
It's not for the lack of ideas to work on - I have a series of bird watercolors on my mind, and a series of alcohol ink tiles I want to make... But I don't see WHEN I'll get to either of these two projects. One day I will, but for now, I am committed to two wee little girls who are the delight of my life!
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