Sunshine and Snow

 

  

I suppose I took down the quilt a bit prematurely... the lion of March has returned.  It must have been the first robins I saw scratching at last years' picnic area that did it, or the driveway turned enormous mud puddle, or maybe the fact that my wire duck in the kitchen is full of our own lovely shades of egg instead of piled high with store bought ones, even the sunlight seems different somehow...it warms and make vibrant whatever lies in its' path.  The freesia by the couch positively glows.  How could I not think spring had arrived?  Sure, snow is still piled high is spots, that happens when all winter you are dumped on.  But there was the hope of spring.  The feeling that it was nudging closer, almost here.

But, this morning a new shimmer of white diamond dust covered everything and more snow is expected this weekend.

We were able to split a few logs we had lying around for some extra firewood since we officially ran out two weeks ago.  I am thankful for those logs lying around.  I am also a little bit thankful (if I have to admit it) that we are scraping by on just a little bit of wood, as it got me out of making syrup this year!  Putting in the pasture where we did, we essentially fenced ourselves out of our syrup trees so the gathering would be a bit more of an issue...and this year being so frigid, I don't suspect it will be all that productive of a year anyway.  No matter- I had treated last years' supply of homemade maple syrup as liquid gold and cracked open just a few of the many jars I put up.

I have to say, I appreciate the break from one more big responsibility- the rest of March and April are already so busy and then the busy-ness of country living/garden season really sets in.

 My sister and I are planning a wedding reception for my parents in the beginning of April, who never got the 'wedding' when they got the marriage 40 years ago.   I do love throwing parties, especially fancy ones.  But with 100+ guests and a VERY frugal budget, it is going to take a bit of doing!  Before that, I'll have two extra children to take care of for four days...and of course, there is Easter.  As if these things were not enough, Matt declared April to be the month to gut and re-do the boys' room.  The electrical work needs to be replaced (the poor boys have had no working electricity since last summer) and the walls need to be insulated.  We must get it done, for safety and warmth if for no other reason, but when the weather turns warm, Matt is going to have other work to do outdoors (the porch!)...so at this point it is a 'now or never' sort of thing.  And the kitchen is in a state of disrepair at this point as Matt is finishing up a tile job he has been working on too.

So yes.  I'm thankful there will be no syrup-boiling responsibilities to add to that list!

I did reorganize the upstairs office to make space to empty all the furniture in the boys' room.  I also recovered very stained stool cushions in the kitchen with some passed along fabric that had been given to me.  I have been tackling my mending pile and I've been crocheting and knitting a bit here and there in the evenings too...  all little things, but little accomplishments are, in a way, big accomplishments.

Has your spring sprung?  What is keeping you busy these days?