waning on winter

It may only just be the end of January tomorrow, but I feel like this winter has gone on long enough. Here in New York we've had snow pretty much every other day since November. If it's not been falling thick and hard, it's been blanketed and frozen from the last storm. I've never known snow like this. I've never known cold like this - it hasn't been above freezing during the day for weeks. We gave up clearing the pathway sometime late December and just gave into the soft crunch under foot every morning. The birds are all so active this time of year. So I'm trying hard to keep my feeders full and my suet supply stocked. The thing is I love winter.

When Fall starts dwindling I get so excited at the prospect of the first snow, the sparkling ground and snow laden pines fill me with so much joy. Our property here is just under an acre consisting of a large lawned piece at the front and a wood of Maples at the rear. From the end of Spring when the last of the dogwood and cherry blossoms have fallen - it's pretty much green central station. Green trees, green grass, green bushes.. it's hard to grow flowers well at the front because of our resident deer families. So I welcome that roll into the colorful Autumn oranges, and then the white out that follows. But after three straight months of white, I find myself once again craving the green. Everything looks so dead at this point, with no twinkling white Christmas lights to give it that joyful glow.

 I planted my seeds the night before last. Broccoli, Kale, Watermelon, Zinnia, Sunflower, Moon Flower, Morning Glories... That gave me a bit of a boost, the thought of what's to come in a few months when the snow has gone, and the world wakes up again. but the children look so cute in their mittens and hats, thick winter coats and snow boots, I think I need to take a walk in the mountains to grasp the beauty of what's still here, because even though my love for winter is hiding, the sparkle is still twinkling.

bring on the pumpkins!

I am so ready for Fall at this point. New York in the Summertime always starts as a jolly affair of ooh what a long winter yay sunny days. But around about the end of July when you know there is still at least a whole other month of 90f left that I long for Autumn.  The turning leaves, the crisp mornings, the burning bushes and red maples, I want it now! Then there's switching out my Yankee Candle summer scents for pumpkins, apple crisps and Autumn wreaths, baking, buying the children cosy clothes, and planning the Holiday season for my store Bramble Boutique. 

This change of season brings an even more exciting prospect - the upcoming birth of baby numero 5! I am so excited to start getting the nursery ready, and to go through all the tiny clothes from the girls that I packed away "just in case".  So while I know by sometime in March I'll be praying once more for summer - right now I'm wholeheartedly shouting from the rooftops - bring on Fall!

nothing goes to plan

What's new.  Nothing ever, not even if I wish my hardest and pray to the heavens. Nothing ever goes exactly to plan.  So the tree guys came, cut down the big Maple, the smaller maple and something else I don't know what it is.. they took down the big half tree over hanging my bedroom, and they cut some branches off the tree next to the guest room. But they didn't cut the branch I asked them to ie the one that hangs over the guest room, ahhh! Also my months of work is trashed pretty much. The paths are all gone, the mapped out with stones areas for my raised beds and everything else has gone, replaced with more leaves and little twigs and just stones scattered.  It's somewhat heartbreaking to have to begin again, I was so happy with the paths the way I had them, and of course I'll not be able to do them that way again, I know that.  And now tomorrow I have to deal with the tree guy coming to show me he did cut down the branch we talked about, and I have to say no look the one that hangs over the house is what I said, and he'll try get more money probably.  Sigh.  I do however now have a patch of sky - no more thatch of bare branches.. found this picture that looks pretty similar to what mine will be like when the leaves come in:

I'll have to wait and see if when the sun rises through the leaves there's enough light to garden, but it looks promising. And of course no more threat of being crushed in the night by a falling branch - so that's positive.  We have enough wood for next winter - another positive.  If I can get through tonight's worrying about the "talk" I may be feeling a lot brighter this time tomorrow.